Selected Grantee Publications

Validity of Xiphophorus Fish as Models for Human Disease

Schartl and Lu, Disease Models and Mechanisms. 2024.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38299666/

Xiphophorus is the one of the oldest animal systems for studying melanoma. In this article, the authors summarize current Xiphophorus models for other human diseases. They review how Xiphophorus fishes and their interspecies hybrids can be used for studying human diseases and highlight research opportunities enabled by these unique models (both established and emerging). They identified several emerging Xiphophorus models, including for albinism, micromelanophore pigmentation, fin regeneration, and diet-induced obesity. The research on cancer and reproductive maturation discussed in this review substantiates the value of Xiphophorus as a model for human disease throughout all three phases of validation—face, construct, and predictive—and continues to provide important scientific insights. Supported by ORIP (R24OD031467, R21OD031910) and NCI.