Should we look to zebrafish for new drug development?

As vertebrates, zebrafish share a high degree of sequence and functional homology with mammals, including humans. Due to the conservation of cell biological and developmental processes across all vertebrates, studies in danio rerio can give great insight into human disease processes. Zebrafish also provide researchers a high degree of scalability and phenotypic richness. The ability to screen the whole organism grant scientists access to a variety of complex phenotypes relative to disease.

The number of compounds now in clinical trials that originated with zebrafish screening shows that it’s gaining traction and leads one to believe that in the near future, we’ll be able to point to available drugs that all started with a zebrafish.

Featured HUABIO zebrafish antibodies

Advantages of using HUABIO antibodies

Increased reproducibility

Because recombinant antibody production involves sequencing the antibody light and heavy chains, recombinant antibody production allows researchers more control over the antigen. In contrast, hybridoma-based systems for producing monoclonal antibodies are subject to genetic drift and instability, increasing the potential for lot-to-lot variability. Since rAbs are defined by the sequences that encode them, they are more reliable and provide more reproducible results than mAbs. By adjusting experimental conditions, researchers can easily favor the isolation of antibodies against antigens.

Ease of scalability and continuous supply

In vitro methods for producing antibodies are amenable to large-scale production, meaning antibody availability is unlikely to become a limiting factor. Recombinant antibodies can be produced in weeks as opposed to months. Moreover, since the recombinant antibody sequence is known, continuity of supply is assured. This means antibody expression can be carried out at any scale with guaranteed long-term supply giving you added peace of mind and continuity for projects of all sizes, making recombinant antibodies a great solution for long-term studies.

Animal-free tech

Once the antibody-producing genes are isolated, high-throughput in vitro manufacture can be implemented. This eliminates the numerous ethical and animal welfare concerns commonly associated with traditional monoclonal antibody production.