Zebrafish as a Model for Obesity and Diabetes

Area of Science:

• Metabolic diseases research
• Animal models in biomedical science

Background:

• Obesity and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are escalating global epidemics, often termed "diabesity."
• These complex diseases result from genetic and environmental interactions, with underlying pathogenesis requiring further investigation for effective management.
• Health risks associated with obesity include T2DM, cardiovascular disease, and various cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the utility of zebrafish as a model organism for studying obesity and diabetes.
• To highlight research employing zebrafish to understand metabolic disease pathologies.
• To discuss the advantages and limitations of using zebrafish in metabolic disease research.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on zebrafish models for obesity and diabetes.
• Analysis of conserved biological pathways in zebrafish relevant to human metabolism.
• Evaluation of studies focusing on zebrafish for identifying therapeutic targets.

Main Results:

• Zebrafish exhibit conserved mechanisms in lipid metabolism, adipose biology, pancreas function, and glucose homeostasis.
• The zebrafish model is suitable for identifying novel targets for obesity and T2DM risk and treatment.
• Studies demonstrate the potential of zebrafish in modeling complex metabolic disorders.

Conclusions:

• Zebrafish serve as a powerful and versatile model for investigating the complexities of obesity and diabetes.
• The conservation of metabolic pathways makes zebrafish a valuable tool for advancing our understanding and treatment of these widespread diseases.
• Further research utilizing zebrafish can accelerate the discovery of new therapeutic strategies for metabolic disorders.