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Chaoul V, Dib EY, Bedran J, Khoury C, Shmoury O, Harb F, Soueid J. Assessing Drug Administration Techniques in Zebrafish Models of Neurological Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14898. [PMID: 37834345 PMCID: PMC10573323 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurological diseases, including neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders, affect nearly one in six of the world's population. The burden of the resulting deaths and disability is set to rise during the next few decades as a consequence of an aging population. To address this, zebrafish have become increasingly prominent as a model for studying human neurological diseases and exploring potential therapies. Zebrafish offer numerous benefits, such as genetic homology and brain similarities, complementing traditional mammalian models and serving as a valuable tool for genetic screening and drug discovery. In this comprehensive review, we highlight various drug delivery techniques and systems employed for therapeutic interventions of neurological diseases in zebrafish, and evaluate their suitability. We also discuss the challenges encountered during this process and present potential advancements in innovative techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Chaoul
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut P.O. Box 11-0236, Lebanon; (V.C.); (J.B.); (O.S.)
| | - Emanuel-Youssef Dib
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Balamand, Kalhat P.O. Box 100, Lebanon; (E.-Y.D.); (C.K.)
| | - Joe Bedran
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut P.O. Box 11-0236, Lebanon; (V.C.); (J.B.); (O.S.)
| | - Chakib Khoury
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Balamand, Kalhat P.O. Box 100, Lebanon; (E.-Y.D.); (C.K.)
| | - Omar Shmoury
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut P.O. Box 11-0236, Lebanon; (V.C.); (J.B.); (O.S.)
| | - Frédéric Harb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Balamand, Kalhat P.O. Box 100, Lebanon; (E.-Y.D.); (C.K.)
| | - Jihane Soueid
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut P.O. Box 11-0236, Lebanon; (V.C.); (J.B.); (O.S.)
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Bondue T, Berlingerio SP, van den Heuvel L, Levtchenko E. The Zebrafish Embryo as a Model Organism for Testing mRNA-Based Therapeutics. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11224. [PMID: 37446400 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
mRNA-based therapeutics have revolutionized the world of molecular therapy and have proven their potential in the vaccination campaigns for SARS-CoV2 and clinical trials for hereditary disorders. Preclinical studies have mainly focused on in vitro and rodent studies. However, research in rodents is costly and labour intensive, and requires ethical approval for all interventions. Zebrafish embryonic disease models are not always classified as laboratory animals and have been shown to be extremely valuable for high-throughput drug testing. Zebrafish larvae are characterized by their small size, optical transparency and high number of embryos, and are therefore also suited for the study of mRNA-based therapeutics. First, the one-cell stage injection of naked mRNA can be used to assess the effectivity of gene addition in vivo. Second, the intravascular injection in older larvae can be used to assess tissue targeting efficiency of (packaged) mRNA. In this review, we describe how zebrafish can be used as a steppingstone prior to testing mRNA in rodent models. We define the procedures that can be employed for both the one-cell stage and later-stage injections, as well as the appropriate procedures for post-injection follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tjessa Bondue
- Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven Campus Gasthuisberg, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Lambertus van den Heuvel
- Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven Campus Gasthuisberg, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Elena Levtchenko
- Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven Campus Gasthuisberg, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Delnoy B, Haskovic M, Vanoevelen J, Steinbusch LKM, Vos EN, Knoops K, Zimmermann LJI, Noga M, Lefeber DJ, Martini PGV, Coelho AI, Rubio‐Gozalbo ME. Novel mRNA therapy restores GALT protein and enzyme activity in a zebrafish model of classic galactosemia. J Inherit Metab Dis 2022; 45:748-758. [PMID: 35527402 PMCID: PMC9541528 DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Messenger RNA (mRNA) has emerged as a novel therapeutic approach for inborn errors of metabolism. Classic galactosemia (CG) is an inborn error of galactose metabolism caused by a severe deficiency of galactose-1-phosphate:uridylyltransferase (GALT) activity leading to neonatal illness and chronic impairments affecting the brain and female gonads. In this proof of concept study, we used our zebrafish model for CG to evaluate the potential of human GALT mRNA (hGALT mRNA) packaged in two different lipid nanoparticles to restore GALT expression and activity at early stages of development. Both one cell-stage and intravenous single-dose injections resulted in hGALT protein expression and enzyme activity in the CG zebrafish (galt knockout) at 5 days post fertilization (dpf). Moreover, the levels of galactose-1-phosphate (Gal-1-P) and galactonate, metabolites that accumulate because of the deficiency, showed a decreasing trend. LNP-packaged mRNA was effectively translated and processed in the CG zebrafish without signs of toxicity. This study shows that mRNA therapy restores GALT protein and enzyme activity in the CG zebrafish model, and that the zebrafish is a suitable system to test this approach. Further studies are warranted to assess whether repeated injections safely mitigate the chronic impairments of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britt Delnoy
- Department of PediatricsMaastricht University Medical Center+Maastrichtthe Netherlands
- GROW, Maastricht UniversityMaastrichtthe Netherlands
| | - Minela Haskovic
- Department of PediatricsMaastricht University Medical Center+Maastrichtthe Netherlands
- GROW, Maastricht UniversityMaastrichtthe Netherlands
| | - Jo Vanoevelen
- GROW, Maastricht UniversityMaastrichtthe Netherlands
- Department of Clinical GeneticsMaastricht University Medical Center+Maastrichtthe Netherlands
| | - Laura K. M. Steinbusch
- Department of Clinical GeneticsMaastricht University Medical Center+Maastrichtthe Netherlands
| | - Esther Naomi Vos
- Department of PediatricsMaastricht University Medical Center+Maastrichtthe Netherlands
| | - Kèvin Knoops
- Microscopy CORE LaboratoryMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtthe Netherlands
| | - Luc J. I. Zimmermann
- Department of PediatricsMaastricht University Medical Center+Maastrichtthe Netherlands
- GROW, Maastricht UniversityMaastrichtthe Netherlands
| | - Marek Noga
- Translational Metabolic LaboratoryRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenthe Netherlands
| | - Dirk J. Lefeber
- Translational Metabolic LaboratoryRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenthe Netherlands
- Department of NeurologyDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical CenterNijmegenthe Netherlands
| | | | - Ana I. Coelho
- Department of PediatricsMaastricht University Medical Center+Maastrichtthe Netherlands
| | - Maria Estela Rubio‐Gozalbo
- Department of PediatricsMaastricht University Medical Center+Maastrichtthe Netherlands
- GROW, Maastricht UniversityMaastrichtthe Netherlands
- Department of Clinical GeneticsMaastricht University Medical Center+Maastrichtthe Netherlands
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Giselbrecht J, Pinnapireddy SR, Alioglu F, Sami H, Sedding D, Erdmann F, Janich C, Schulz-Siegmund M, Ogris M, Bakowsky U, Langner A, Bussmann J, Wölk C. Investigating 3R In Vivo Approaches for Bio-Distribution and Efficacy Evaluation of Nucleic Acid Nanocarriers: Studies on Peptide-Mimicking Ionizable Lipid. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2107768. [PMID: 35355412 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202107768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Formulations based on ionizable amino-lipids have been put into focus as nucleic acid delivery systems. Recently, the in vitro efficacy of the lipid formulation OH4:DOPE has been explored. However, in vitro performance of nanomedicines cannot correctly predict in vivo efficacy, thereby considerably limiting pre-clinical translation. This is further exacerbated by limited access to mammalian models. The present work proposes to close this gap by investigating in vivo nucleic acid delivery within simpler models, but which still offers physiologically complex environments and also adheres to the 3R guidelines (replace/reduce/refine) to improve animal experiments. The efficacy of OH4:DOPE as a delivery system for nucleic acids is demonstrated using in vivo approaches. It is shown that the formulation is able to transfect complex tissues using the chicken chorioallantoic membrane model. The efficacy of DNA and mRNA lipoplexes is tested extensively in the zebra fish (Danio rerio) embryo which allows the screening of biodistribution and transfection efficiency. Effective transfection of blood vessel endothelial cells is seen, especially in the endocardium. Both model systems allow an efficacy screening according to the 3R guidelines bypassing the in vitro-in vivo gap. Pilot studies in mice are performed to correlate the efficacy of in vivo transfection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Giselbrecht
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry/Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Str. 4, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Shashank Reddy Pinnapireddy
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, University of Marburg, Robert-Koch-Str. 4, 35037, Marburg, Germany
- CSL Behring Innovation GmbH, Emil-von-Behring-Str. 76, 35041, Marburg, Germany
| | - Fatih Alioglu
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Haider Sami
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Daniel Sedding
- Internal Medicine III, Medical Faculty of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube-Str. 40, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Frank Erdmann
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry/Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Str. 4, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Christopher Janich
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry/Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Str. 4, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Michaela Schulz-Siegmund
- Pharmaceutical Technology, Medical Faculty, University Leipzig, Eilenburger Straße 15a, 04317, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Manfred Ogris
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Udo Bakowsky
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, University of Marburg, Robert-Koch-Str. 4, 35037, Marburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Langner
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry/Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Str. 4, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jeroen Bussmann
- Division of BioTherapeutics, Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, Leiden, 2333 CC, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Wölk
- Pharmaceutical Technology, Medical Faculty, University Leipzig, Eilenburger Straße 15a, 04317, Leipzig, Germany
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Sieber S, Grossen P, Bussmann J, Campbell F, Kros A, Witzigmann D, Huwyler J. Zebrafish as a preclinical in vivo screening model for nanomedicines. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2019; 151-152:152-168. [PMID: 30615917 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2019.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 12/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The interactions of nanomedicines with biological environments is heavily influenced by their physicochemical properties. Formulation design and optimization are therefore key steps towards successful nanomedicine development. Unfortunately, detailed assessment of nanomedicine formulations, at a macromolecular level, in rodents is severely limited by the restricted imaging possibilities within these animals. Moreover, rodent in vivo studies are time consuming and expensive, limiting the number of formulations that can be practically assessed in any one study. Consequently, screening and optimisation of nanomedicine formulations is most commonly performed in surrogate biological model systems, such as human-derived cell cultures. However, despite the time and cost advantages of classical in vitro models, these artificial systems fail to reflect and mimic the complex biological situation a nanomedicine will encounter in vivo. This has acutely hampered the selection of potentially successful nanomedicines for subsequent rodent in vivo studies. Recently, zebrafish have emerged as a promising in vivo model, within nanomedicine development pipelines, by offering opportunities to quickly screen nanomedicines under in vivo conditions and in a cost-effective manner so as to bridge the current gap between in vitro and rodent studies. In this review, we outline several advantageous features of the zebrafish model, such as biological conservation, imaging modalities, availability of genetic tools and disease models, as well as their various applications in nanomedicine development. Critical experimental parameters are discussed and the most beneficial applications of the zebrafish model, in the context of nanomedicine development, are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandro Sieber
- Division of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Philip Grossen
- Division of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jeroen Bussmann
- Department of Supramolecular and Biomaterials Chemistry, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Frederick Campbell
- Department of Supramolecular and Biomaterials Chemistry, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Kros
- Department of Supramolecular and Biomaterials Chemistry, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Dominik Witzigmann
- Division of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada..
| | - Jörg Huwyler
- Division of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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