A Novel Laser-Based Zebrafish Model for Studying Traumatic Brain Injury and Its Molecular Targets

Recent insights from non-mammalian models of brain injuries: an emerging literature

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major global health concern and is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Repetitive TBIs (rTBIs), commonly observed in contact sports, military service, and intimate partner violence (IPV), pose a significant risk for long-term sequelae. To study the long-term consequences of TBI and rTBI, researchers have typically used mammalian models to recapitulate brain injury and neurodegenerative phenotypes. However, there are several limitations to these models, including: (1) lengthy observation periods, (2) high cost, (3) difficult genetic manipulations, and (4) ethical concerns regarding prolonged and repeated injury of a large number of mammals. Aquatic vertebrate model organisms, including Petromyzon marinus (sea lampreys), zebrafish (Danio rerio), and invertebrates, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), and Drosophila melanogaster (Drosophila), are emerging as valuable tools for investigating the mechanisms of rTBI and tauopathy. These non-mammalian models offer unique advantages, including genetic tractability, simpler nervous systems, cost-effectiveness, and quick discovery-based approaches and high-throughput screens for therapeutics, which facilitate the study of rTBI-induced neurodegeneration and tau-related pathology. Here, we explore the use of non-vertebrate and aquatic vertebrate models to study TBI and neurodegeneration. Drosophila, in particular, provides an opportunity to explore the longitudinal effects of mild rTBI and its impact on endogenous tau, thereby offering valuable insights into the complex interplay between rTBI, tauopathy, and neurodegeneration. These models provide a platform for mechanistic studies and therapeutic interventions, ultimately advancing our understanding of the long-term consequences associated with rTBI and potential avenues for intervention.

A Robust and Reproducible Method to Study Neurorepair after Stab Injury in the African Turquoise Killifish Telencephalon

The aging population (people >60 yr old) is steadily increasing worldwide, resulting in an increased prevalence of age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Despite intensive research efforts in the past decades, there are still no therapies available to stop, cure, or prevent these diseases. Induction of successful neuroregeneration (i.e., the production of new neurons that can functionally integrate into the existing neural circuitry) could represent a therapy to replace neurons lost by injury or disease in the aged central nervous system. The African turquoise killifish, with its particularly short life span, has emerged as a useful model to study how aging influences neuroregeneration. Here, we describe a robust and reproducible stab-injury protocol to study regeneration in the telencephalon of the African turquoise killifish. After the injury, newborn cells are traced by conducting a BrdU pulse-chase experiment. To identify newborn neurons, a double immunohistochemical staining for BrdU and HuCD is carried out. Techniques such as bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling, intracardial perfusion, cryosectioning, and immunofluorescence staining are described as separate sections.