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Updated: Aug 30, 2025
Drug Screening of Primary Patient Derived Tumor Xenografts in Zebrafish
Published on: April 10, 2020
The application of zebrafish patient-derived xenograft tumor models in the development of antitumor agents
1Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Abstract:
The cost of antitumor drug development is enormous, yet the clinical outcomes are less than satisfactory. Therefore, it is of great importance to develop effective drug screening methods that enable accurate, rapid, and high-throughput discovery of lead compounds in the process of preclinical antitumor drug research. An effective solution is to use the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor animal models, which are applicable for the elucidation of tumor pathogenesis and the preclinical testing of novel antitumor compounds. As a promising screening model organism, zebrafish has been widely applied in the construction of the PDX tumor model and the discovery of antineoplastic agents. Herein, we systematically survey the recent cutting-edge advances in zebrafish PDX models (zPDX) for studies of pathogenesis mechanisms and drug screening. In addition, the techniques used in the construction of zPDX are summarized. The advantages and limitations of the zPDX are also discussed in detail. Finally, the prospects of zPDX in drug discovery, translational medicine, and clinical precision medicine treatment are well presented.
Insights
Developing patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor models in zebrafish offers a rapid, high-throughput method for discovering effective antitumor drugs. This approach aids in understanding tumor pathogenesis and advancing precision medicine.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Zebrafish Models
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Antitumor drug development faces high costs and unsatisfactory clinical outcomes.
- There is a critical need for efficient preclinical drug screening methods.
- Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models are valuable for studying tumor pathogenesis and testing therapeutics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review recent advances in zebrafish PDX (zPDX) models for pathogenesis and drug screening.
- To summarize zPDX construction techniques.
- To discuss the advantages, limitations, and future prospects of zPDX models.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of cutting-edge research on zPDX models.
- Summary of techniques for constructing zPDX models.
- Analysis of zPDX model applications in preclinical research.
Main Results:
- Zebrafish serve as a promising model organism for constructing PDX models.
- zPDX models facilitate accurate, rapid, and high-throughput screening of potential antitumor compounds.
- The review covers pathogenesis studies, drug screening, and technical aspects of zPDX.
Conclusions:
- zPDX models represent a significant advancement in preclinical antitumor drug discovery.
- These models hold promise for translational medicine and clinical precision treatment.
- Further development and application of zPDX models are expected to improve cancer therapy outcomes.
