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Published on: March 31, 2015
Zebrafish Cancer Avatars: A Translational Platform for Analyzing Tumor Heterogeneity and Predicting Patient Outcomes
Majd A Al-Hamaly1,2, Logan T Turner2,3, Angelica Rivera-Martinez3
1Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40356, USA.
Abstract:
The increasing number of available anti-cancer drugs presents a challenge for oncologists, who must choose the most effective treatment for the patient. Precision cancer medicine relies on matching a drug with a tumor's molecular profile to optimize the therapeutic benefit. However, current precision medicine approaches do not fully account for intra-tumoral heterogeneity. Different mutation profiles and cell behaviors within a single heterogeneous tumor can significantly impact therapy response and patient outcomes. Patient-derived avatar models recapitulate a patient's tumor in an animal or dish and provide the means to functionally assess heterogeneity's impact on drug response. Mouse xenograft and organoid avatars are well-established, but the time required to generate these models is not practical for clinical decision-making. Zebrafish are emerging as a time-efficient and cost-effective cancer avatar model. In this review, we highlight recent developments in zebrafish cancer avatar models and discuss the unique features of zebrafish that make them ideal for the interrogation of cancer heterogeneity and as part of precision cancer medicine pipelines.
Insights
Zebrafish cancer models offer a rapid and cost-effective way to study tumor heterogeneity and improve precision cancer medicine. These models help predict drug response by analyzing diverse cancer cell profiles within a tumor.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Genomics
- Translational Medicine
Background:
- Precision cancer medicine aims to match drugs to tumor molecular profiles for optimal patient benefit.
- Intra-tumoral heterogeneity, with diverse mutation profiles and cell behaviors, significantly impacts therapy response.
- Current precision medicine approaches do not fully address tumor heterogeneity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in zebrafish cancer avatar models.
- To discuss the advantages of zebrafish models for studying cancer heterogeneity.
- To explore the integration of zebrafish avatars into precision cancer medicine pipelines.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on zebrafish cancer avatar models.
- Discussion of zebrafish biological features relevant to cancer modeling.
- Analysis of zebrafish avatars' potential for assessing drug response and heterogeneity.
Main Results:
- Zebrafish avatars are emerging as a time-efficient and cost-effective alternative to traditional models.
- Zebrafish models can recapitulate patient tumor characteristics and assess drug efficacy.
- These models offer unique advantages for interrogating intra-tumoral heterogeneity.
Conclusions:
- Zebrafish cancer avatar models show significant promise for advancing precision oncology.
- Their speed and cost-effectiveness make them suitable for clinical decision-making pipelines.
- Zebrafish models are valuable tools for understanding and overcoming challenges posed by tumor heterogeneity.
