Zebrafish as an animal model for biomedical research

Zebrafish have several advantages compared to other vertebrate models used in modeling human diseases, particularly for large-scale genetic mutant and therapeutic compound screenings, and other biomedical research applications. With the impactful developments of CRISPR and next-generation sequencing technology, disease modeling in zebrafish is accelerating the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of human genetic diseases. These efforts are fundamental for the future of precision medicine because they provide new diagnostic and therapeutic solutions. This review focuses on zebrafish disease models for biomedical research, mainly in developmental disorders, mental disorders, and metabolic diseases. With their see-through bodies, low maintenance costs and genetic similarity to humans, zebrafish provide a powerful animal model for studying mental disorders and metabolic diseases in the laboratory. Tae-Young Choi from Wonkwang University, Iksan, South Korea, and coworkers review the many physiological advantages and logistical benefits of rearing these small tropical fish for biomedical research. These include the ease of tissue imaging, the large number of offspring in each generation and the increasing number of genetic techniques available. The researchers highlight the various ways in which zebrafish have contributed to scientists’ understanding of mental disorders and the communication pathways between brain and other organs in the body. They also discuss the potential of zebrafish for tracking metabolism and how it can go awry in various disease settings.