Zebrafish an emerging model for Preclinical Drug Discovery

Abstract

For understanding the pathogenesis of human disease at cellular and molecular level bio medical research depends on the use of animal models. Maximum animal models used in medical research of human disease are basically performed in murine system. Though there are advantages of using these animals, murine’s have long gestational period, sexual maturation rate and are expensive. These invertebrates lack many structures and organ systems that are involved in human disease pathogenesis. Forward-genetic screens and random mutagenesis based reverse genetics though possible in mouse and are currently underway; they cannot be done on a large scale as they require considerable staff and infrastructure support. Due to these drawbacks other animal models have been developed that provide initial genetic or drug target information. For developmental genetic studies larval zebrafish are used extensively due to their small size, external development, optical transparency, and accessibility in large numbers. Not only are they vertebrate, they also have high fecundity, which can be easily visualised and experimentally manipulated. 70% of all human disease genes have functional homologous in zebrafish. There has been significant increase in the use of zebra fish to elucidate the etiology of human disease like cancer, infectious diseases, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, diabetes, blindness, deafness, digestive diseases, hematopoiesis, muscle disorders and neural disorders.