Fishing anti(lymph)angiogenic drugs with zebrafish. Issue 2 (February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: García-Caballero, Melissa; Quesada, Ana R.; Medina, Miguel A.; Marí-Beffa, Manuel
• Is Part Of: Drug discovery today. Volume 23:Issue 2(2018)
• Page Start: 366
• Page End: 374
• Publication Date: 2018-02
• Subjects: Drugs -- Design -- Periodicals; Drugs -- Research -- Periodicals; 615.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2017.10.018
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-6446

Abstract

Highlights: Zebrafish-based in vivo assays are being popularized for anti(lymph)angiogenic drug screening. These assays show advantages when compared to chick or mouse-based models. They contribute to speed up the screening and to reduce the number of sacrificed mice. They can provide relevant information regarding the mechanism of action and toxicity of the tested agents. Their use in the early phases of drug discovery may bias the preferential selection of anti-VEGF agents. Abstract : Zebrafish, an amenable small teleost fish with a complex mammal-like circulatory system, is being increasingly used for drug screening and toxicity studies. It combines the biological complexity of in vivo models with a higher-throughput screening capability compared with other available animal models. Externally growing, transparent embryos, displaying well-defined blood and lymphatic vessels, allow the inexpensive, rapid, and automatable evaluation of drug candidates that are able to inhibit neovascularisation. Here, we briefly review zebrafish as a model for the screening of anti(lymph)angiogenic drugs, with emphasis on the advantages and limitations of the different zebrafish-based in vivo assays.