MagHelix™ Efficacy Testing Using Zebrafish

Current requirements for drug release not only require in vitro but also in vivo assays to increase drug efficacy and minimize toxicity. Characterizing the efficacy and/or safety of compounds in the preclinical phase can effectively reduce the cost of the clinical phase. The zebrafish (Danio Rerio) is one of the most utilized vertebrate models in recent years. In terms of molecular genetics, zebrafish and human have high genetic homology. Moreover, the zebrafish has mammalian-like organs. Zebrafish embryos are transparent allowing directly assess the in vivo effects of drugs on organs and tissues. The zebrafish is easy to reproduce, maintain, and has high fecundity. Thus, zebrafish enables us to perform in vivo efficacy tests faster and more accurately.

Creative Biostructure is a leading biotechnology company committed to streamlining discovery and preclinical development of novel compounds with the zebrafish system. Based on our zebrafish screening platform, we provide gene editing, high-throughput safety and efficacy assays, and disease models to deliver better services and products for our customers.

Figure 1. Zebrafish model system in antimicrobial drug discovery. (Pamanji R, 2020)

Creative Biostructure generates infectious models (both gram-positive and gram-negative models) to reproduce infectious diseases in zebrafish to test the efficacy of new treatments or vaccination in early stages. There are two majored infectious models:

• The Treatment Model

Bacterial infection → Treatment against infection → Animal monitoring

• The Vaccination Model

Vaccination → Bacteria infection → Animal monitoring

Steps and Endpoints:

• Survival analysis
• Gene expression quantification (RT-PCR)
• Histological analysis

In addition, we have also developed high-throughput in vivo drug efficacy evaluation approaches for other diseases, including but not limited to:

Advantages of our MagHelix™ Efficacy Testing services:

• Our zebrafish screening platform covers drug efficacy evaluation models against different diseases.
• We can develop novel zebrafish efficacy evaluation models according to project requirements.
• Advanced instruments and equipment allow the high-throughput screening.
• Based on the zebrafish model, our drug efficacy testing services have the advantages of time-saving and low-cost.
• We have extensive experience in the design and development of zebrafish in vivo models and continue to develop new methods for various diseases, such as detecting the ability of compounds to inhibit angiogenesis.

Zebrafish provides a powerful in vivo preclinical model that can be utilized to evaluate various adverse effects of drug candidates and to determine their efficacy. Creative Biostructure offers a series of solutions for researchers with drug discovery and preclinical development needs to generate zebrafish disease models and exploit zebrafish models for toxicity assays and efficacy testing. Our scientists will come up with suitable strategies for customers and assist in analyzing experimental data.

References

1. Langheinrich U.; et al. Zebrafish embryos express an orthologue of HERG and are sensitive toward a range of QT-prolonging drugs inducing severe arrhythmia. Toxicology and applied pharmacology. 2003, 193(3): 370-382.
2. Caballero M V, Candiracci M. Zebrafish as screening model for detecting toxicity and drugs efficacy. J. Unexplored Med. Data. 2018, 3(4).
3. Pamanji R. Zebrafish model system in antimicrobial drug discovery. Model Organisms for Microbial Pathogenesis, Biofilm Formation and Antimicrobial Drug Discovery. Springer, Singapore, 2020: 597-609.