The zebrafish: a powerful platform for in vivo, HTS drug discovery

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an emerging vertebrate model for drug discovery that permits whole animal drug screens with excellent throughput, combined with ease of use and low cost. This review will begin with a discussion on the background, suitability, and advantages of this vertebrate model system and then, citing specific examples, will describe the utility of zebrafish at specific stages in the drug development pipeline. We will end with a synopsis of recent drug screens based on morphological disruptions, genetic disease models, fluorescent markers, behavioral changes, and specific targets. The numerous advantages of this whole animal approach provide new promise for the discovery of safe, specific, and powerful new drugs.