Zebra Fish
Why in news :
- Recently it is found that a protein found in the backbone of zebrafish that plays a positive role in disc maintenance and promotes regeneration in aged discs between vertebrae can have potential therapeutic implications to promote regeneration in degenerated human discs.
More about the development :
- In humans, discs degenerate naturally, leading to many related health concerns, including low back, neck, and appendage pain.
- Currently, only symptomatic treatments for disc degeneration are available, including pain relievers or anti-inflammatories.
- In severe cases, disc replacement or disc fusion surgery is performed.
- Thus, there is an urgent need to develop a treatment either to suppress disc degeneration or to promote disc regeneration in humans.
- Most importantly, no medical procedures or treatments have been known to suppress disc degeneration or induce disc regeneration.
- A study by Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, discovered that a protein called Cellular communication network factor 2a (Ccn2a) secreted from intervertebral disc cells induces disc regeneration in aged degenerated discs.
- It does so by promoting cell proliferation and cell survival by modulating the pathway called the FGFR1-SHH (Fibroblast growth factor receptor-Sonic Hedgehog) pathway.
- The study which used Zebrafish as a model organism is the first in vivo study showing that it is possible to induce disc regeneration in a degenerated disc by activating an endogenous signalling cascade.
- The scientists also found that the Ccn2a-FGFR1-SHH signalling cascade takes a positive role in disc maintenance and augmenting disc regeneration.
More about Zebra Fish :
- The zebrafish is a freshwater fish belonging to the minnow family of the order Cypriniformes.
- Native to South Asia, it is a popular aquarium fish, frequently sold under the trade name zebra danio (and thus often called a “tropical fish” although both tropical and subtropical).
- It is also found in private ponds.
- The zebrafish is an important and widely used vertebrate model organism in scientific research, for example in drug development, in particular pre-clinical development.
- It is also notable for its regenerative abilities, and has been modified by researchers to produce many transgenic.
- The zebrafish is native to fresh water habitats in South Asia where it is found in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.
- The northern limit is in the South Himalayas, ranging from the Sutlej river basin in the Pakistan–India border region to the state of Arunachal Pradesh in northeast Indian.
- Zebrafish typically inhabit moderately flowing to stagnant clear water of quite shallow depth in streams, canals, ditches, oxbow lakes, ponds and rice paddies.
- Zebrafish are omnivorous, primarily eating zooplankton, phytoplankton, insects and insect larvae, although they can eat a variety of other foods, such as worms and small crustaceans, if their preferred food sources are not readily available.
- The IUCN status of Zebra fish is Least Concerned.
Syllabus : Prelims
