Biomedical Models: Use of Zebrafish as a Multi-Utility In Vivo Tool Box

Molecular research has gradually revealed the biological significance of genetically encoded information and how this information is transmitted and utilized in a cell. The scientific advances of the last few decades have brought about paradigm shifts in the strategies traditionally used to decipher biological information. From unidirectional approaches, we now have multidirectional model-system-based integrated OMICs that aim to describe the pathophysiology of diseases through a combination of genetic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data. Compared to other vertebrate models, zebrafish have a wealth of advantages that make them a powerful tool with a wide range of applications in biomedical research. The high degree of genetic conservation with humans, coupled with the availability of various gene manipulation techniques, has made zebrafish an immensely popular multi-utility genetic toolbox. This review describes the advances in the field of zebrafish-based biomedical research with a focus on its applications in disease modeling, functional omics, toxicology, and pharmacology. This article is categorized under: Cancer > Genetics/Genomics/Epigenetics Infectious Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology Congenital Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology.