Zebrafish larvae have become a key model in modern drug screening due to their unique advantages as an animal model. Ranked by the NIH as one of the most important models for biomedical research, zebrafish offer a fast, cost-effective, and ethically viable alternative for toxicity and efficacy assays.

Why Zebrafish for Toxicology and Drug Efficacy Assays?

• Greater similarity to humans: Zebrafish share 70% of their genome with humans and 84% of disease-associated genes, making them a relevant model for studying human diseases and drug responses.
• Physiological and signaling pathway similarities: Zebrafish exhibit similar physiology, signaling pathways, and druggable targets to humans, enhancing their value as a predictive model for human health and disease mechanisms.
• Whole-organism model: Zebrafish larvae provide a more physiologically relevant model compared to traditional cell culture assays, allowing researchers to observe the effects of drug candidates in a living organism.
• Transparency of embryos/larvae: Their transparent bodies allow for direct observation of internal organs and real-time monitoring of organ function during development, offering valuable insights into toxicity and drug efficacy.
• Cost-effective and fast: Zebrafish embryos and larvae are cost-efficient to maintain and can provide results in 6 days or less, reducing the time required to screen compounds compared to mammalian models.
• High-throughput screening potential: Their small size allows them to fit into single wells of multi-well plates (6- to 384-wells), enabling high-throughput screening of test compounds with minimal sample volumes.
• Versatile for various assays: Zebrafish are used for a wide range of assays, including toxicity testing, drug efficacy evaluation, and mechanism of action studies, offering a robust platform for early-stage drug discovery and safety testing.

Toxicology Testing Capabilities

Acute Toxicity:

Acute toxicity refers to the harmful effects that occur after short-term exposure to a substance. It is crucial in determining the immediate risk of a chemical or drug, helping establish safe exposure limits and dose recommendations. The determination of LD50 (lethal dose for 50% of the population) is an important parameter in assessing the safety of a compound, especially in the early stages of drug development.

Zebrafish Model: Assessment of drugs, cosmetics, and water toxicity in 2- and 4-days post fertilization (dpf) zebrafish larvae following the OECD-236 guideline

Teratotoxicity:

Teratotoxicity refers to the effects of toxic substances on fetal development, causing birth defects. This is important in assessing the safety of drugs and chemicals during pregnancy, particularly for pharmaceutical testing and environmental safety.

Zebrafish Model: Assessment of drugs, cosmetics, and water toxicity in 2- and 4-day post-fertilization (dpf) zebrafish larvae following the modified OECD-236 guideline

Cardiotoxicity:

Cardiotoxicity refers to the harmful effects of substances on the heart, potentially leading to arrhythmias, heart failure, or other cardiac issues. It is important in drug development to ensure new compounds do not cause adverse heart-related side effects.

Zebrafish Model: Heart rate measurement in 3- to 6- dpf zebrafish larvae using specific transgenics

Neurotoxicity:

Neurotoxicity refers to the damaging effects of substances on the nervous system, potentially leading to cognitive deficits, behavioral changes, or motor impairments. It is critical in evaluating drugs or chemicals that may affect brain or nerve function, ensuring safety for neurological health.

Zebrafish Model: Locomotion activity assay in 4- to 6- dpf zebrafish larvae using DanioVision Noldus tracking system

Multi-toxicity: Combining cardio-, neuro- and terato-toxicity assays to select candidates with lower toxicity to reduce cost and time of high-throughput screening projects

Drug Efficacy Test

DISEASE MODELS

I) For drug discovery

Epilepsy: Using a stablished method in 5 dpf larvae to identify compounds effective against epilepsy

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): Using a novel method in 6 dpf larvae to identify potential drugs to cure ALS

Diabetes: Glucose measurement in 7 dpf larvae to identify compounds efficient in lowering blood glucose levels.

Brain Micro-bleeding (BMB)/Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ICH): Using established methods to identify efficient compounds to rescue the bleeding in 3 dpf larvae

Parkinson: Using MPP+ model to identify potential drugs in 5 dpf larvae

Anxiety: Thigmotaxis assay to identify anxiolytics and anxiogenics in 3 dpf larvae

Stress: Assessment of locomotor activity and photomotor response in 5 dpf larvae by performing alternating light/dark locomotion assay using DanioVision Noldus tracking system to identify efficient compounds

Wound Healing: Tailfin transection in 4 dpf larvae and assaying its healing 4 and 6 days after wounding to identify efficient compounds

Rare Genetic Diseases: Generating knockdown zebrafish by using gene specific morpholino (antisense oligonucleotide) at 1 to 4 cell stage embryos and characterizing the induced phenotype to identify the compounds which show rescue effect and explore novel therapeutic strategies.

II) For novel cosmetics development

Anti-oxidation: In-vivo anti-oxidation assays in 3 dpf larvae to identify antioxidants for pharma and cosmetics

Melanin Quantification: Using stablished methods in 2 dpf larvae to identify whitening-agents for cosmetics

Standards & Regulations

Several standards and guidelines are already available for investigators on the ethical use of zebrafish, their proper husbandry, standardized dosing and exposure protocols, systematic data collection and analysis, implementation of quality control measures, and transparent reporting.

Here is our Routine Service Flow:

1. Setting up an initial meeting to discuss the project, including your needs, suitable models, timing etc.
2. Providing you with a proposal that includes the objective, procedures, timeline, and cost
3. Acute and teratotoxicity assays
4. Efficacy assays to identify hits
5. Dose-response tests
6. Preparing samples to investigate the mechanism of action
7. Keeping you updated throughout the test via email and virtual presentations, and providing a final report at the end

What are Our Advantages?