Tag Archives: zebrafish
Exploring gap junction networks required for zebrafish skin pattern formation
The study of pattern formation has advanced to a new phase involving channel molecules acting on bioelectric signals, with gap junctions being major relevant factors. Gap junctions are composed of connexin proteins: six connexins form hemichannels/connexons on
How can you tell that stem cells are good at math? You can watch them multiply and divide!
Blood production is an essential process in all vertebrate animals that needs to occur throughout an organism’s lifespan; red blood cells need to carry oxygen to distant tissues, platelets are required for stopping bleeding after injuries, and
Zebrafish is an attractive model to anticipate drug-induced renal injury in humans
Most of the innovative drugs with important therapeutic benefits are not approved or are removed from the clinical practice due to drug-induced toxicity. The kidneys are one of the most important target organs of drug toxicity because
Small fish can help finding drugs to fight retina diseases
About 285 million people are visually impaired in the world. The arising of chronic eye diseases and ageing processes make more people at risk of blindness, 65% of visually impaired people being aged 50 or older. Among
Genetics of body shape: Connexin43 is the key to two zebrafish mutants with shorter backbones and fins
The variation in body shape within and among animal species has long been an intriguing question. D’Arcy Thompson, a pioneer of mathematical biology in the early 20th century, put forth the idea that body shape variation in
Vitamin E helps protect healthy fats critical for brain development
During development, the brain requires more oxygen than any other organ – about 60% of the total oxygen consumed by a growing fetus is used to support the high metabolic demands of neurodevelopment. This means the developing
Fish gills help understand human lung disease
Persistent inflammation of the lung leads to fibrosis, a serious and poorly understood disease that causes scarring of the lungs. A poor prognosis of only approximately 3 years survival after diagnosis demonstrates the lack of understanding of
Technology to seek the elixir of hunger and satiation
Nowadays eating too much food or not enough are major social problems. Can we find identify medicine to promote either behaviour? Serendipity still drives first-in-class medicine identification. Hence, increasing the number of drugs tested increases the odds
