A tiny fish with translucent skin could make a big difference in how we treat pediatric cancer — and the research is happening at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center.
A tiny fish with translucent skin could make a big difference in how we treat pediatric cancer — and the research is happening at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center.
Zebrafish are tropical freshwater fish that are native to South Asia, and they are particularly useful for cancer research, says Jessica Blackburn, Ph.D., UK Markey Cancer Center researcher and associate professor in the UK College of Medicine’s Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. The fish can offer important insights into cancer biology. Those insights can power the discovery of less toxic and more effective treatments.
Why Zebrafish?
Because the skin of zebrafish larvae is clear, Blackburn and researchers in her lab can watch tumors develop, from one cell to a whole tumor, through a microscope. That level of real-time detail isn’t possible with other research models. Zebrafish also metabolize drugs in a way that closely mimics how people process drugs, meaning the fish can provide better insights into how drugs might work in patients than typical cell culture methods.
Read More: University of Kentucky
Image: Jessica Blackburn’s research uses zebrafish, which offer important insights into cancer biology. Mark Cornelison | UK Photo
