Use of zebrafish in chemical biology and drug discovery

Abstract

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a small, tropical, freshwater fish that has emerged as a powerful vertebrate model organism for studying genetics and development. Its small size, transparency, cost–effectiveness, close genome homology to humans compared with invertebrates, and capacity for genetic manipulation are all valuable attributes for an excellent animal model. There are additional advantages for using zebrafish specifically in drug discovery, including ease of exposure to chemicals in water. In effect, zebrafish can bridge a gap between in vitro and mammalian work, reducing the use of larger animals and attrition rates. In the drug-discovery process, zebrafish can be used at many stages, including target identification and validation, identification of lead compounds, studying structure–activity relationships and drug safety profiling. In this review, we highlight the potential for the zebrafish model to make the drug-discovery process simpler, more effective and cost-efficient.