Understanding PARK15 (Fbxo7). Parkinson's-related study includes assays in flies.

Burchell VS, Nelson DE, Sanchez-Martinez A, Delgado-Camprubi M, Ivatt RM, Pogson JH, Randle SJ, Wray S, Lewis PA, Houlden H, Abramov AY, Hardy J, Wood NW, Whitworth AJ, Laman H, Plun-Favreau H. The Parkinson's disease-linked proteins Fbxo7 and Parkin interact to mediate mitophagy. Nat Neurosci. 2013 Aug 11. PMID: 23933751.

Fly model of Gaucher disease. Human protein expressed in fly eye.

Suzuki T, Shimoda M, Ito K, Hanai S, Aizawa H, Kato T, Kawasaki K, Yamaguchi T, Ryoo HD, Goto-Inoue N, Setou M, Tsuji S, Ishida N. Expression of Human Gaucher Disease Gene GBA Generates Neurodevelopmental Defects and ER Stress in Drosophila Eye. PLoS One. 2013 Aug 2;8(8):e69147. PMID: 23936319.

Pre-clinical drug trial for disease with currently "no disease-modifying treatments" includes Drosophila studies

This study focuses on Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), which the authors indicate is also known as Machado-Joseph Disease (MJD).

Yi J, Zhang L, Tang B, Han W, Zhou Y, Chen Z, Jia D, Jiang H. Sodium valproate alleviates neurodegeneration in SCA3/MJD via suppressing apoptosis and rescuing the hypoacetylation levels of histone H3 and H4. PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e54792. PMID: 23382971; PMCID: PMC3557284.

Using the fly to follow up on GWAS. Heart rate study.

den Hoed et al. Identification of heart rate-associated loci and their effects on cardiac conduction and rhythm disorders. Nat Genet. 2013 Jun;45(6):621-31. PMID: 23583979; PMCID: PMC3696959.

From the abstract: "Experimental downregulation of gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster and Danio rerio identified 20 genes at 11 loci that are relevant for heart rate regulation and highlight a role for genes involved in signal transmission, embryonic cardiac development and the pathophysiology of dilated cardiomyopathy, congenital heart failure and/or sudden cardiac death. ... Our findings provide fresh insights into the mechanisms regulating heart rate and identify new therapeutic targets."