Gaurav Kasar* 1
Zebrafish (Danio rerio), a small freshwater fish native to South Asia, has gained significant attention as a powerful model organism in biomedical and pharmaceutical research. Due to its unique biological and genetic characteristics, zebrafish has become an essential tool for studying human diseases, drug screening, and toxicity assessment [1]. Compared to traditional mammalian models such as mice and rats, zebrafish offer several advantages, including their ease of maintenance, rapid development, and high-throughput screening potential. These attributes make zebrafish a cost-effective and efficient alternative for studying various aspects of human health and disease [2,3]. Their use has expanded in recent years, particularly in developmental biology, toxicology, pharmacology, and genetic research. Biologically, zebrafish possess several key characteristics that make them ideal for laboratory studies. They are small in size, measuring about 2.5–5 cm in length, and have a relatively short lifespan of around 2–3 years. Their external fertilization and transparent embryos allow for real-time observation of early developmental processes, providing a unique advantage over mammalian models, where embryonic development occurs internally. One of the most notable features of zebrafish is their rapid development, with major organ systems forming within the first 24–48 hours post-fertilization [4]. This makes them highly suitable for studying embryogenesis, organogenesis, and genetic modifications in real time. Additionally, zebrafish exhibit a high reproductive rate, with a single female capable of laying hundreds of eggs per week. This large number of offspring facilitates large-scale experiments, making zebrafish particularly useful for genetic studies and drug screening applications [5,6]. Genetically, zebrafish share remarkable similarities with humans, making them highly relevant for translational research. Approximately 70% of zebrafish genes are homologous to human genes, and about 84% of human disease-related genes have a corresponding zebrafish counterpart. This genetic conservation allows researchers to study various human diseases in zebrafish models, including neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndromes, and cancers. Moreover, zebrafish possess well-developed organ systems that closely resemble those of humans, including the nervous, cardiovascular, immune, and digestive systems. Their functional drug targets, such as ion channels, enzymes, and receptors, are also conserved, making zebrafish an effective model for pharmacological studies [7-9]. Due to these genetic and physiological similarities, zebrafish have become an invaluable tool for studying gene function, disease mechanisms, and drug responses in a whole-organism context. The zebrafish has emerged as a powerful model organism in pharmaceutical research due to its unique biological and physiological characteristics. Initially used in developmental biology, zebrafish are now widely recognized for their utility in pharmacology, toxicology, and disease modeling. Their small size, rapid life cycle, and high fecundity make them particularly attractive for large-scale studies, including high-throughput screening of pharmaceutical compounds. Additionally, their external fertilization and optical transparency during embryonic and larval stages enable real-time imaging and in vivo analysis of physiological and pathological processes. One of the most significant advantages of zebrafish in pharmaceutical research is their genetic homology with humans. Approximately 70% of zebrafish genes are shared with humans, and around 84% of human disease-related genes have counterparts in zebrafish. This genetic similarity allows researchers to develop zebrafish models for a variety of human diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular conditions, and metabolic diseases. The advent of advanced genetic manipulation techniques, such as CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing and transgenic technologies, has further strengthened the role of zebrafish as a versatile model for studying gene functions and drug responses [10-13].
10.5281/zenodo.15507701