Fragile phagocytes: FMRP positively regulates engulfment activity.

Published in: The Journal of cell biology (2017)

Defective immune system function is implicated in autism spectrum disorders, including Fragile X syndrome. In this issue, O'Connor et al. (2017. J. Cell Biol. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201607093) demonstrate that phagocytic activity of systemic immune cells is compromised in a Drosophila melanogaster model of Fragile X, highlighting intriguing new mechanistic connections between FMRP, innate immunity, and abnormal development.

Keyphrases

drosophila melanogaster
autism spectrum disorder
cell therapy
case report
stem cells
mesenchymal stem cells
intellectual disability
bone marrow
working memory