Neuroscience CRO Services
ZeClinics provides preclinical CRO services to evaluate drugs targeting CNS disorders such as epilepsy and Parkinson Disease. Our CNS diseases experts are ready to partner with you at the early stages of drug and target discovery, providing innovative zebrafish in vivo models to shorten your product’s time to market.
ZeClinics' preclinical CNS research team has extensive experience, ranging from genetic manipulation, disease model generation, and phenotype-based drug screening. Zebrafish genetic models are custom-generated for an accurate characterization of the biological function of your gene of interest. Efficacy and safety screenings are conducted in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.
WHY ZEBRAFISH?
The zebrafish brain is a suitable paradigm for investigating human neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. It allows screening of compounds and genes with potential neuroprotective or neurotoxic effects.
The main advantages of zebrafish for CNS research are:
Rapid neurodevelopment is completed at 120 hours post-fertilization in zebrafish; vs 22 embryonic + 22 postnatal days in rats and 40 weeks in humans.
CNS anatomical and functional conservation between zebrafish and humans: i.e. forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, and spinal cord.
Common neurotransmitter system: the main excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, as well as neuromodulators.
Zebrafish possess a functional blood-brain barrier similar to humans.
Other important advantages of zebrafish for CNS research include:
- Its ever-expanding genetic toolbox allows us to perturb and monitor neural or glial activity in the entire brain and thus, model human genetic forms of CNS disorders.
- The possibility to perform electroencephalographic recordings in both larval and adult fish.
- The high throughput behavioral analysis using automated video tracking systems.
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
Our preclinical CNS research services are developed to help you address:
Disease modeling
Generation of custom genetic models of neurologic disorders.
Target validation
In vivo validation of candidate genes in the context of a disease, for druggable target identification.
Drug screening
Efficacy and toxicity evaluation of candidate therapeutic compounds in a disease context.
Preclinical CNS Research Capabilities
All these analyzes can be applied to the CNS research field to study different disorders such as epilepsy, Parkinson Disease, GRINpathies, etc., or the study of CNS side effects of compounds.
Ready-to-use Models For CNS Disorders
Pharmacologically-induced larval zebrafish models that reproduce pathologic and behavioral hallmarks of human CNS disorders. They represent an efficient, cost-effective and human-relevant option to study these conditions.
Epilepsy Model
- High throughput screening of compounds with potential seizure-inducing activity.
- High throughput efficacy screening of new anti-epileptic or anticonvulsant drugs.
- Genetic functional studies of potential seizure-modulating genes.
Parkinson Disease Model
- High throughput screening of compounds with potential Parkinsonism phenotypic effect.
- High throughput efficacy screening of new therapeutic compounds for PD.
- Genetic functional studies of potential PD-modulating genes.
Get the milestone data you need to make important decisions in the early stages of drug discovery. Contact us to learn more about ZeClinics’ preclinical CNS research services and how we can help accelerate your R&D process.
We'd like to hear from you
If you want more information about our CNS disease
models or have any other questions, please contact
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References
- McKinley ET, Baranowski TC, Blavo DO, Cato C, Doan TN, Rubinstein AL. Neuroprotection of MPTP-induced toxicity in zebrafish dopaminergic neurons. Brain Res Mol Brain Res. 2005 Nov 30;141(2):128-37.
- Baraban SC, Taylor MR, Castro PA, Baier H. Pentylenetetrazole induced changes in zebrafish behavior, neural activity and c-fos expression. Neuroscience. 2005;131(3):759-68.
- Baraban SC, Dinday MT, Hortopan GA. Drug screening in Scn1a zebrafish mutant identifies clemizole as a potential Dravet syndrome treatment. Nat Commun. 2013;4:2410.
View our Neuroscience CRO Services services
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Parkinson Disease Model
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Epilepsy Model