Creating a Buzz about Macrophages: The Fly as an In Vivo Model for Studying Immune Cell Behavior.

Drosophila macrophages exhibit functional parallels with their vertebrate counterparts in both their early developmental roles and later diverse roles in health and disease. This, together with the fly's genetic tractability and opportunities for live imaging, has recently established Drosophila as a powerful model to study macrophage behavior in vivo.