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Nephrotoxin Microinjection in Zebrafish to Model Acute Kidney Injury
Published on: July 17, 2016
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Nontraditional Models for Acute Kidney Injury Research: Organoids, Zebrafish, and More
Eeshrita Jog1, Tongyu Wu1, Joseph C Maggiore1
1Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Center for Integrative Organ Systems, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
Seminars in Nephrology
|September 16, 2025
Summary
New models for acute kidney injury (AKI) are crucial due to the lack of effective treatments. This review explores advanced 3D organoids, microfluidics, and nonmammalian systems for AKI drug discovery.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Translational Medicine
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Acute kidney injury (AKI) presents a significant clinical challenge with high mortality and no approved therapies to prevent chronic kidney disease progression.
- Current limitations exist with traditional rodent models and 2D cell cultures due to physiological divergence and lack of complexity.
- There is a critical need for advanced model systems that better recapitulate human renal pathophysiology for AKI research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and discuss the utility of emerging three-dimensional (3D) in vitro and nonmammalian model systems for acute kidney injury (AKI) research.
- To highlight how these advanced models address the limitations of traditional systems in recapitulating AKI complexity.
- To evaluate the potential of these models in accelerating AKI drug discovery efforts.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on 3D kidney organoids, microfluidic systems, zebrafish, and Drosophila models for AKI.
- Analysis of the structural and functional relevance of these models compared to human renal tissue.
- Discussion of the application of these models in high-content screening and drug discovery.
Main Results:
- 3D kidney organoids and microfluidic systems offer improved structural and functional fidelity to human renal tissue.
- Nonmammalian models like zebrafish and Drosophila provide valuable whole-organism platforms for high-content screening.
- These advanced models are increasingly bridging the gap in understanding AKI pathophysiology and facilitating drug discovery.
Conclusions:
- Advanced 3D in vitro and nonmammalian model systems represent significant progress in AKI research.
- These innovative platforms enhance the recapitulation of human renal pathophysiology, overcoming limitations of traditional models.
- The reviewed model systems provide powerful tools for accelerating the development of novel therapeutic interventions for AKI.
