Modeling Spinal Muscular Atrophy in Zebrafish: Current Advances and Future Perspectives.
Int J Mol Sci
; 25(4)2024 Feb 06.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38396640
ABSTRACT
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease characterized by degeneration of lower motor neurons (LMNs), causing muscle weakness, atrophy, and paralysis. SMA is caused by mutations in the Survival Motor Neuron 1 (SMN1) gene and can be classified into four subgroups, depending on its severity. Even though the genetic component of SMA is well known, the precise mechanisms underlying its pathophysiology remain elusive. Thus far, there are three FDA-approved drugs for treating SMA. While these treatments have shown promising results, their costs are extremely high and unaffordable for most patients. Thus, more efforts are needed in order to identify novel therapeutic targets. In this context, zebrafish (Danio rerio) stands out as an ideal animal model for investigating neurodegenerative diseases like SMA. Its well-defined motor neuron circuits and straightforward neuromuscular structure offer distinct advantages. The zebrafish's suitability arises from its low-cost genetic manipulation and optical transparency exhibited during larval stages, which facilitates in vivo microscopy. This review explores advancements in SMA research over the past two decades, beginning with the creation of the first zebrafish model. Our review focuses on the findings using different SMA zebrafish models generated to date, including potential therapeutic targets such as U snRNPs, Etv5b, PLS3, CORO1C, Pgrn, Cpg15, Uba1, Necdin, and Pgk1, among others. Lastly, we conclude our review by emphasizing the future perspectives in the field, namely exploiting zebrafish capacity for high-throughput screening. Zebrafish, with its unique attributes, proves to be an ideal model for studying motor neuron diseases and unraveling the complexity of neuromuscular defects.
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Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Atrofia Muscular Espinal
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Doença dos Neurônios Motores
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Doenças Neurodegenerativas
Limite:
Animals
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Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Mol Sci
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Chile
País de publicação:
Suíça