A Stanford University School of Medicine study have for the first time been able to identify evidence that a fruit fly's immune response can adapt to (or retain memory of) an earlier infection.

This new finding is opposing old knowledge that only immune systems of higher animals and vertebrates (not invertebrates such as insects) demonstrate adaptation.

According to David Schneider, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology and senior author of the study:

"It's a springboard to looking at the immune system in a whole new way.

AIDS patients are like fruit flies in the sense that they don't have properly functioning T cells. If there is anything we could do to make their remaining innate immunity better through adaptation, that would be really helpful.

The B and T cells of the adaptive immune system take a long time to react. But you might be able to speed things up if you could snort something up your nose that would make your innate immune system ready to fight."

Therefore humans can now learn from flies, for this new finding has implications for new ways of developing human vaccines against AIDS and diseases that attack the immune system and also against bioterrorism agents.

Study results will be published in the Public Library of Science-Pathogens.

Find more details from the full report.