Zebrafish a new sustainable vertebrate model established at DTU Food to study immunotoxicology

Animal models are important tools in our combat against diseases as well as in screening for adverse effects of chemicals. As a supplement to the rodent models, which have been around for decades, the zebrafish provides new possibilities. The zebrafish have several practical characteristics, which enable new research possibilities: Small in size, Short life cycle and generation time, Good reproduction in captivity, External fertilization, Transparent embryos, Rapid embryonic development, Several transgenic strains e.g. with fluorescent cell types.

We use zebrafish and carp as vertebrate models to investigate the immune system and adverse immunotoxicological effects of chemical substances. At DTU Food we have just invested in a State-of-the-art zebrafish facility with fully automated control of water parameters. We are currently working with the influence of chemicals on the allograft reaction (tissue transplants from one individual to another of the same species) in skin, where e measure angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels) and expression of involved genes.

The process of angiogenesis has proven to be a promising screening model, as angiogenesis can be followed by non-invasive imaging techniques and abrogates the need for time and cost consuming biochemical assays in a screening setup.