Editorial: Drosophila as a model to study neurodegenerative diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are incurable and debilitating conditions characterized by progressive loss of selectively vulnerable populations of neurons in brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. This causes worsening motor (ataxia), cognitive (dementia) and autonomic dysfunction over time. NDDs impact many families and represent one of the greatest public health burdens worldwide. Most NDDs are due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The largest known risk factor is age, so NDDs are becoming more prevalent due to an aging global population, eventually becoming a globally unmanageable problem. There are currently no drugs available to prevent or treat NDDs, and multiple scientific approaches are needed to understand the etiology of these diseases and develop a therapeutic treatment.