#KnowYourZDM
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zebrafishrock.bsky.social
Stay tuned as @zdmsociety.bsky.social continue to highlight disease awareness days/months and how #zebrafish are helping researchers and, ultimately, the lives of patients 🐟 #KnowYourZDM 🧪
zdmsociety.bsky.social Zebrafish Disease Models Society (ZDMS) @zdmsociety.bsky.social · 13d
Oct. 20 is #WorldOsteoporosisDay 🐟🦴 Due to high genetic similarity to humans and presence of vertebrae & other mineralized bone, #zebrafish are an excellent model to study this chronic disease 💪 From assessing disease gene variants to drug discovery, zebrafish make the future brighter! #KnowYourZDM
(Top) Illustration of an adult zebrafish showing examples of bones through the zebrafish body used to model human diseases. Bones are shown stained with Alizarin Red. (Bottom) 3D volumetric renders from µCT images of wild-type (wt) and chi+/- (model for OI) adult skeleton, color-coded to show variations in tissue mineral density (TMD) (red= higher TMD values; blue= lower TMD values). Credit image to Erika Kague.
October 20, 2026 at 10:09 AM
zdmsociety.bsky.social
Oct. 20 is #WorldOsteoporosisDay 🐟🦴 Due to high genetic similarity to humans and presence of vertebrae & other mineralized bone, #zebrafish are an excellent model to study this chronic disease 💪 From assessing disease gene variants to drug discovery, zebrafish make the future brighter! #KnowYourZDM
(Top) Illustration of an adult zebrafish showing examples of bones through the zebrafish body used to model human diseases. Bones are shown stained with Alizarin Red. (Bottom) 3D volumetric renders from µCT images of wild-type (wt) and chi+/- (model for OI) adult skeleton, color-coded to show variations in tissue mineral density (TMD) (red= higher TMD values; blue= lower TMD values). Credit image to Erika Kague.
October 20, 2026 at 10:05 AM
zdmsociety.bsky.social
October is #LiverCancerAwarenessMonth 💚 Did you know Liver Cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally? To improve patient outcomes, researchers are utilizing #zebrafish 👩‍🔬🐟 This had led to improvements in our understanding of how it develops & ways to treat it! #KnowYourZDM
ALT text: Graphic showing a green ribbon for Liver Cancer Awareness Month with an adult zebrafish swimming in the middle of it. Text reads 'October is Liver Cancer Awareness Month'. The logo for the Zebrafish Disease Models Society (ZDMS) is in the top left corner.
October 10, 2026 at 9:58 AM
zdmsociety.bsky.social
Timely article to round out Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week 🧬🐟 #KnowYourZDM
greg-walkiew.bsky.social Grzegorz (Greg) Walkiewicz @greg-walkiew.bsky.social · Sep 19
Our paper is finally out in eLife!🧠🔬
A team effort exploring neuronal dysfunction in Lowe syndrome, with a focus on mitochondrial defects across iPSC neurons, mouse & zebrafish models.
Happy to share our science openly, beyond Impact Factor. Huge thanks to everyone involved!
doi.org/10.7554/eLif...
Defective neuronal differentiation in Lowe syndrome is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired cilia-related Sonic Hedgehog signaling
OCRL deficiency is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, altered ciliary signaling, and disrupted neural cell-state regulation across multiple experimental models of Lowe syndrome.
doi.org
September 19, 2026 at 10:52 AM
zdmsociety.bsky.social
September 14-20 is #WorldMitochondrialDiseaseWeek 💚 This group of genetic diseases is one of the most common w/ an incidence of ~1 in 5000 adults. To unravel the etiology of mitochondrial dysfunction, researchers are utilizing zebrafish disease models to improve the lives of patients. #KnowYourZDM 🧵
Adult zebrafish in front of a green banner. Text reads, September 14-20, 2026, World Mitochondrial Disease Week.
September 14, 2026 at 4:50 PM
kevinthiessen.bsky.social
Work with #zebrafish models of human disease? Or maybe you want to bring awareness to a certain disease? Let ZDMS highlight your work and interests in our running series #KnowYourZDM, which we highlight how this mighty fish is advancing human research 🐟 💪 Reach out directly, if interested!
zdmsociety.bsky.social Zebrafish Disease Models Society (ZDMS) @zdmsociety.bsky.social · Sep 1
September is #ChildhoodCancerAwarenessMonth 🎗️ With the aide of #zebrafish, scientists are making "tank-to-bedside" advancements to improve patient outcomes 🐟👩‍🔬 Want to know more about what's coming next? Learn about a small subset of original research by #ZDMS members in this thread ⬇️ #KnowYourZDM
Image of an adult zebrafish swimming next to a gold ribbon. Text reads, "September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month"
September 3, 2026 at 11:32 AM
zdmsociety.bsky.social
"Personalized Zebrafish Models for Fusion-Positive Pediatric Sarcomas" from @kendalllab.bsky.social: lnkd.in/ebnKUrfT

And don't forget to check out this general, open-access review on modelling human pediatric cancers in zebrafish: lnkd.in/eBei9q_V

#KnowYourZDM #DiseaseModels #CancerResearch

3/3
September 1, 2026 at 7:56 AM
zdmsociety.bsky.social
September is #ChildhoodCancerAwarenessMonth 🎗️ With the aide of #zebrafish, scientists are making "tank-to-bedside" advancements to improve patient outcomes 🐟👩‍🔬 Want to know more about what's coming next? Learn about a small subset of original research by #ZDMS members in this thread ⬇️ #KnowYourZDM
Image of an adult zebrafish swimming next to a gold ribbon. Text reads, "September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month"
September 1, 2026 at 7:56 AM
zdmsociety.bsky.social
August is #PsoriasisAwarenessMonth 🧡💜 With the help of #zebrafish, scientists are expanding what we know about these chronic diseases 🐟👩‍🔬 Learn more about the fishy research model making real-world impacts on patients: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... #KnowYourZDM #ZDMS #Psoriasis #DiseaseModels
Orange and purple ribbon for Psoriasis Awareness Month with an adult zebrafish swimming through the middle. In the corner is the Zebrafish Disease Models Society (ZDMS) logo. Text reads, "August is Psoriasis Awareness Month"
August 15, 2026 at 9:33 AM
zebrafishrock.bsky.social
Stay tuned throughout the year as @zdmsociety.bsky.social highlight awareness days/months and how #zebrafish disease models are helping advance research 🐟👩‍🔬🧬 #KnowYourZDM 🧪
zdmsociety.bsky.social Zebrafish Disease Models Society (ZDMS) @zdmsociety.bsky.social · May 1
May is #ALSAwarenessMonth! Did you know researchers can discover new drugs to treat #ALS by screening #zebrafish for improvements to ALS-related behaviors, such as loss of spontaneous locomotion & altered swimming patterns? To learn more, see: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... #KnowYourZDM 🐟🔬👩‍🔬
Image of racks of zebrafish tanks. Credit to NC3Rs. https://www.nc3rs.org.uk/events/guide-refinement-fish-species
May 1, 2026 at 8:04 AM
zebrafishrock.bsky.social
Very cool model of lysosomal storage diseases 🐟 #KnowYourZDM @zdmsociety.bsky.social
dmmjournal.bsky.social DMM Journal @dmmjournal.bsky.social · Mar 12
1st paper from Lee, Flanagan-Street & co showed that loss of galns enhances lysosomal exocytosis in developing cartilage of mutant #zebrafish, which reduced cathepsin activity and decreased TGFβ and BMP signaling

📰 doi.org/10.1242/dmm....
Composite figure showing craniofacial cartilage and bone defects in galns mutant zebrafish larvae. (A) Alcian Blue–stained heads of wild‑type and mutant larvae, with mutants displaying shorter, dysmorphic cartilages; lines mark eye edges, nose tip, and Meckel’s cartilage, and red arrows highlight affected structures. (B) Schematics and bar graphs quantify reduced cartilage lengths, protrusion distance, and head area, with increased ceratohyal angle. (C–F) Confocal images of fli1a:EGFP chondrocytes show altered shape, organization, and high vacuolation in mutants; yellow arrows indicate vacuoles. Corresponding graphs quantify these changes. (G–H) Alizarin Red staining at 7 and 10 dpf shows decreased mineralization in Meckel’s and ceratohyal regions, with quantified fluorescence. (I–L) Vertebral staining and graphs show reduced mineralization, fewer mineralized vertebrae, lower intensity, and smaller diameters in mutants.
March 13, 2026 at 7:51 PM
zebrafishrock.bsky.social
ICYMI… A gem from 2025 by @karinayaniv.bsky.social Lab 🐟 #KnowYourZDM @zdmsociety.bsky.social
jem.org Journal of Experimental Medicine @jem.org · Feb 28
A novel #zebrafish model from @karinayaniv.bsky.social et al. provides a powerful platform to dissect kaposiform lymphangiomatosis (KLA) pathogenesis and identify new therapeutic avenues. rupress.org/jem/article/...

📘 In our #Lymphatics collection: rupress.org/jem/collecti...
February 28, 2026 at 5:04 PM
zebrafishrock.bsky.social
Learn about the growing assortment of Zebrafish Disease Models for human conditions in our ongoing series: #KnowYourZDM 🐟 🧪
zebrafishrock.bsky.social Zebrafish Rock! @zebrafishrock.bsky.social · Dec 14
Dravet Syndrome is a genetic form of epilepsy caused by mutations in SCN1A. Researchers screened a library of compounds on loss-of-function scn1Lab (Nav1.1) #zebrafish and found clemizole (EPX-100) rescued the phenotype. This drug is now in Phase 3 Clinical Trials to treat seizures. #KnowYourZDM 🧪
(A) Immobilized and agar-embedded zebrafish larvae are shown. Images were obtained using a 4× objective and 2× magnifier on an Olympus upright microscope during forebrain electrophysiological recordings in sibling control (A, left) and scn1Lab mutant (A, middle) larvae at 5 dpf. Note the dark pigmentation for mutants. Recording electrodes can be seen in panels A1-2 and the approximate site of the recording electrode tip in the forebrain (red circle) is shown using a representative HuC:GFP labeled larvae in A, right. Scale bar: 100 µm. (B) Sample locomotion tracking plot for sibling control (B, left) and scn1Lab mutant (B, right) larvae at 5 dpf. (C) Representative 10 min recording epochs obtained in the forebrain of paralyzed, immobilized and agar-embedded scn1Lab mutant larvae between 3 and 7 dpf. Note the presence of small and large amplitude spontaneous burst discharge; additional temporal expansions of seizure activity are shown in Supplemental Figure S1. A representative recording, under identical recording conditions, from a sibling control larvae at 5 dpf is also shown. Scale bar: 2 mV; 30 sec. Credit image and text to Baraban et al. (2013) Nature Communications
December 16, 2025 at 4:42 PM
zebrafishrock.bsky.social
Dravet Syndrome is a genetic form of epilepsy caused by mutations in SCN1A. Researchers screened a library of compounds on loss-of-function scn1Lab (Nav1.1) #zebrafish and found clemizole (EPX-100) rescued the phenotype. This drug is now in Phase 3 Clinical Trials to treat seizures. #KnowYourZDM 🧪
(A) Immobilized and agar-embedded zebrafish larvae are shown. Images were obtained using a 4× objective and 2× magnifier on an Olympus upright microscope during forebrain electrophysiological recordings in sibling control (A, left) and scn1Lab mutant (A, middle) larvae at 5 dpf. Note the dark pigmentation for mutants. Recording electrodes can be seen in panels A1-2 and the approximate site of the recording electrode tip in the forebrain (red circle) is shown using a representative HuC:GFP labeled larvae in A, right. Scale bar: 100 µm. (B) Sample locomotion tracking plot for sibling control (B, left) and scn1Lab mutant (B, right) larvae at 5 dpf. (C) Representative 10 min recording epochs obtained in the forebrain of paralyzed, immobilized and agar-embedded scn1Lab mutant larvae between 3 and 7 dpf. Note the presence of small and large amplitude spontaneous burst discharge; additional temporal expansions of seizure activity are shown in Supplemental Figure S1. A representative recording, under identical recording conditions, from a sibling control larvae at 5 dpf is also shown. Scale bar: 2 mV; 30 sec. Credit image and text to Baraban et al. (2013) Nature Communications
December 14, 2025 at 12:55 PM
zebrafishrock.bsky.social
#KnowYourZDM or ‘Know Your Zebrafish Disease Model’ features ways the miniature fish is helping doctors and researchers fight human diseases. Follow along for more from this series!
December 3, 2025 at 10:27 AM
zebrafishrock.bsky.social
#KnowYourZDM: ~1 out of 15 infants born worldwide will be affected by a rare hereditary disease during their lifetime. #Zebrafish are uniquely suited for studying these diseases as there is a high level of genetic conservation. Learn more in this open-access review 👉 jmg.bmj.com/content/55/1... 🧪
Image of two zebrafish (Danio rerio) swimming in the water. There is a side view of a female zebrafish (center) and a straight-on view of a male in the background. You can see their reflections in the surface above. Credit to Novartis AG/Flickr
December 3, 2025 at 10:23 AM
zebrafishrock.bsky.social
#KnowYourZDM or ‘Know Your Zebrafish Disease Model’ features ways the miniature fish is helping doctors and researchers fight human diseases. Stay tuned for more on this series!
zebrafishrock.bsky.social Zebrafish Rock! @zebrafishrock.bsky.social · Nov 20
#KnowYourZDM: In 2019, a 10-year-old patient w/ a life-threatening lymphatic disorder was losing hope. Zebrafish to the rescue! Scientists created zebrafish with the same gene mutation and found a melanoma drug that fixed the fish. Then, doctors used the same drug on the patient to save his life! 🧪
Zebrafish are an excellent model for studying the development and function of blood and lymphatic vessels. Research in zebrafish has even led to treatments for lymphatic disorders in people. This image, taken using a powerful microscope that uses lasers to illuminate the fish, shows blood vessels (magenta) and lymphatic vessels (green) in the eye and head of an anesthetized, 6-week-old, transgenic zebrafish. Credit: Daniel Castranova, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH
November 20, 2025 at 7:26 PM
zebrafishrock.bsky.social
#KnowYourZDM: In 2019, a 10-year-old patient w/ a life-threatening lymphatic disorder was losing hope. Zebrafish to the rescue! Scientists created zebrafish with the same gene mutation and found a melanoma drug that fixed the fish. Then, doctors used the same drug on the patient to save his life! 🧪
Zebrafish are an excellent model for studying the development and function of blood and lymphatic vessels. Research in zebrafish has even led to treatments for lymphatic disorders in people. This image, taken using a powerful microscope that uses lasers to illuminate the fish, shows blood vessels (magenta) and lymphatic vessels (green) in the eye and head of an anesthetized, 6-week-old, transgenic zebrafish. Credit: Daniel Castranova, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH
November 20, 2025 at 6:51 PM
zebrafishrock.bsky.social
ICYMI… File under #KnowYourZDM 💪
biologyopen.bsky.social Biology Open @biologyopen.bsky.social · Nov 9
Irina Bacila & co from @sheffielduni.bsky.social define dysregulated molecular pathways induced by 21-hydroxylase deficiency in #zebrafish, highlighting its value as a model for adrenal disease. doi.org/10.1242/bio....
Adult cyp21a2−/−mutant zebrafish phenotype. (A) Diagram of intrrenal steroid biosynthesis in zebrafish (above) and whole-body steroid measurements in mutant fish (orange) compared to WT (blue). The horizontal lines represent median with interquartile range. n=6 fish per group. (B) Expression of fkbp5 in larvae and adult livers. Comparison of whole-body steroids between WT (blue) and mutant (orange). (C) Weight and length measurements in cyp21a2 male zebrafish, WT (blue) and mutant (orange). The numbers in brackets correspond to two different fish populations. (D) External phenotypes of cyp21a2 mutant and WT sibling fish. (E) Dissection images. The upper pictures show the abdominal visceral fat flanking the gastrointestinal tract. The lower images were obtained on dissecting the skull, visualising the brain and the subcutaneous fat around it. The visceral and subcutaneous fat is indicated by yellow arrows (*indicates statistical significance).
November 9, 2025 at 12:26 PM
zebrafishrock.bsky.social
Diamond-Blackfan Anemia (DBA) is a rare human disorder affecting red blood cell production, which often appears due to mutations in ribosomal protein, RPS19. To clarify its role in DBA, researchers made a rps19 knockout #zebrafish, which had impaired haematopoiesis. #KnowYourZDM 🧪
Figure 1 Zebrafish DBA models. Wild-type embryos show a high density of red blood cells (WT), whereas the blood production is drastically reduced in the rps19 knockdown (KD) and knockout (KO) embryos, as indicated by the absence of hemoglobin stained cells (lower panels). These embryos also display developmental deformities in head and tail regions (arrowheads). The abnormal phenotypes were rescued by injection of rps19 mRNA but not rescued by mRNA with patient type mutations in the knockdown embryos [14]. Credit to Uechi et al 2019
October 30, 2025 at 6:54 PM
zebrafishrock.bsky.social
#KnowYourZDM: Humans and #zebrafish carrying mutations in VEGFC or its receptor (FLT4) have defects in the formation of their lymphatic systems, which are important for draining lymph back into the circulation system.  As a result, these individuals display severe #lymphedema. 🧪
Humans bearing mutations in vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC) or its receptor tyrosine kinase (FLT4) have defects in the formation of their lymphatic system, which is important for draining interstitial fluid back into the circulatory system. As a consequence, these patients display severe lymphedema (bottom left). In zebrafish, we have generated mutations in vegfc and flt4, both of which are conserved between zebrafish and humans. Like humans, zebrafish larvae also display lymphedema due to a failure to form a complete lymphatic system (bottom right). Credit image and text to Prof. Nathan Lawson @LawsonZFLab https://www.umassmed.edu/lawson-lab/zebrafishmodel/disease-models/
October 26, 2025 at 5:31 PM
zebrafishrock.bsky.social
Very neat disease model! #KnowYourZDM 🧪
profmariya.bsky.social Professor Mariya Moosajee @profmariya.bsky.social · Jan 8
As we know #ZebrafishRock as a biological model. Here are the images of the #netrin knockdown showing a #coloboma and lateral #neuromasts lacking hair cell bodies, hair bundles and kinocilia! @zebrafishrock.bsky.social
January 8, 2025 at 3:26 PM
zebrafishrock.bsky.social
Diamond-Blackfan Anemia (DBA) is a rare human disorder affecting red blood cell production, which often appears due to mutations in ribosomal protein, RPS19. To clarify its role in DBA, researchers made a rps19 knockout #zebrafish disease model, which had impaired haematopoiesis. #KnowYourZDM 🧪
Images of early zebrafish embryos showing Wildtype or WT normal fish. Rps19 knockdown (KD) fish with impaired blood production and rps19 knockout (KO) fish with the same impaired blood production.
December 14, 2024 at 5:36 PM
zdmsociety.bsky.social
Did you know #zebrafish have human-like responses to Mycobacterium leprae, including macrophage-mediated inflammation and neurodegeneration?

Check out the latest findings on the zebrafish leprosy model by the Madigan Lab at UCSD 🐟 #KnowYourZDM #ZDMS #DiseaseModels
biorxivpreprint.bsky.social bioRxivpreprint @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social · Aug 2
A zebrafish leprosy model identifies interferon and plasminogen signaling as survival determinants in mycobacterial infection https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.31.739979v1
August 5, 2026 at 4:13 PM
zdmsociety.bsky.social
July is Sarcoma Awareness Month 🎗️ With the help of the tiny but mighty zebrafish, researchers are expanding what we know about these aggressive cancers 🐟👩‍🔬 Learn more about the research that is making tank-to-bedside impacts on patients ⬇️ 1/3

#KnowYourZDM #zebrafish #ZDMS #sarcoma #DiseaseModels
Image of a yellow ribbon signifying Sarcoma Awareness Month next to an adult zebrafish with blue and yellow stripes. Text reads 'JULY IS SARCOMA AWARENESS MONTH'
July 6, 2026 at 10:59 AM