Planta Med 2008; 74(6): 624-632
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1034374
Keynote Lecture
Perspective
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Fishing for Drugs from Nature: Zebrafish as a Technology Platform for Natural Product Discovery

Alexander D. Crawford1 , Camila V. Esguerra2 , Peter A. M. de Witte1
  • 1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
  • 2Stem Cell Institute and Department of Musculoskeletal Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

Received: December 28, 2007 Revised: February 14, 2008

Accepted: February 18, 2008

Publikationsdatum:
07. April 2008 (online)

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Abstract

Emerging challenges within the current drug discovery paradigm are prompting renewed interest in natural products as a source of novel, bioactive small molecules. With the recent validation of zebrafish as a biomedically relevant model for functional genomics and in vivo drug discovery, the zebrafish bioassay-guided identification of natural products may be an attractive strategy to generate new lead compounds in a number of indication areas. Here, we review recent natural product research using zebrafish and evaluate the potential of this vertebrate model as a discovery platform for the systematic identification of bioactive natural products.

References

Alexander D. Crawford

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Herestraat 49

3000 Leuven

Belgium

Telefon: +32-16-330-417

eMail: alexander.crawford@pharm.kuleuven.be

Peter A. M. de Witte

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Herestraat 49

3000 Leuven

Belgium

Telefon: +32-16-323-432

eMail: peter.dewitte@pharm.kuleuven.be