In order to understand how cancer spreads and develops, we must first grasp the intricate ways in which cancer cells regulate things such as cell growth, and communication. All of which, can be observed very easily in the transparent anatomy of zebra fish. Likewise, one out of the many labs we toured at the hutch consisted of zebra fish, where Dr. Moens studies the early stages of their brains growth. Specifically, the production of motor neurons in the brain and how they connect to muscles in the head and neck.
Stages of Life
During our tour, we got to observe the zebra fish at difference points in its life using microscopes. Starting as early as an egg, all the way to it’s fully grown form. In Moens’ lab, there were three main life stages we noticed.
Embryo (Day 2-3)
On day one, not much can be observed. In this particular image, the egg has reached the ‘high to oblong transition’ stage of its development. However, only a day later were we able to see a lot of progression in the eggs growth. We took notice to the development of the tail, eyes, and neck, as well as the beating of the heart and movement of the embryo itself.
Larvae (Day 3) Day
The zebra fish has now developed into a larvae after only 3 days! However in Moens' lab, they are not ready to move into a tank with piping because it increases their exposure to harmful bacteria that they haven't developed immunity towards yet.
However, after a quick 90 days, the zebra fish have fully developed into adults and can now move in into a tank with piping. As shown in the image below, the blue tubes running along the top of the tank are the pipes, and they help circulate fresh water throughout the entire system. Other programs and structural components in Moens’ lab are very valuable to the fish’s well being, as they help accommodate the needs of the fish. For example, one of the programs used helps regulate the labs lighting, as a means of mimicking the sunrise and sunset that would occur in a zebra fish’s natural habitat. However, other methods of caring for the fish are all manual; such as feeding, which is all done by hand.
So what?
Though I was able to visit numerous labs, and retained so much new information here at the hutch, learning about, and examining the zebra fish in Moens’ lab made the biggest impression on me overall. One of the reasons being how crucial these vertebrates are to scientific research! Specifically because of all its characteristics that make them valuable models for studying human genetics/diseases, and most importantly, cancer.
To name a few, zebrafish produce hundreds of offspring weekly, which provides scientists with a large number of embryos to study. They also grow extremely fast, and are cheaper to maintain, which makes them easier to handle than the traditional mouse. Secondly, zebrafish embryos are very easy to study because of how transparent their anatomy is, which makes examining the heart and other internal structures less complicated. Lastly, 70 percent of their genes are shared with us humans and many diseases found in humans typically have a zebrafish counterpart. Which, just comes to show how suitable they are for cancer research and other diseases. All in all, the uncomplicated/transparent structure of the zebra fish, and its similarities to us humans make them great organisms to study here at the hutch, as they may just be one of the tools they use to make more breakthroughs in cancer treatment.
