Kim, K. et al. PNAS 117, 10357–10367 (2020)

Cystic fibrosis (CF)—an inherited disease characterized by the accumulation of viscous mucus in the pulmonary and gastrointestinal tract—is caused by a mutation in CFTR, a gene encoding a chloride channel expressed in various epithelia. Mouse, pig, ferret, zebrafish and rat models carrying cftr mutations have provided valuable insights into CF pathogenesis, but many questions remain unanswered.

By adding Drosophila to the list of available models, a PNAS study opens new avenues for CF research. The fly model, which was generated by knocking down a CFTR ortholog in the adult intestine, recapitulated the gastrointestinal manifestations of CF and could be used for high-throughput drug screens.