Defect in fruit fly respiratory system may provide insights into human aortic aneurysms

A team of researchers led by Leipzig University has gained new insights into the respiratory system of fruit flies—the so-called tracheal system—which could be important for future research into aneurysms. Dr. Matthias Behr from the Institute of Biology (Department of Cell Biology) at Leipzig University and his team, together with colleagues from the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen, carried out genetic, cell biological and biochemical studies on Drosophila embryos.