Developmental Biology of Zebrafish and Integration of Transgenic Lines to Study Microglia in Perspective of Glioblastoma

Abstract

Glioblastoma is a vicious cancer of the brain that is extremely invasive. Our innovative approach to studying glioblastoma utilizes zebrafish as model for scientific study because of their affordable maintenance, transparent body plan during embryo and larval stages, and genomic accessibility. We aim to use zebrafish as an organismal model to study how glioblastoma and microglial cells interact in the neural region. To achieve this, we are developing an all-encompassing in-vivo transgenic and transparent zebrafish modeling system to study microglia function and manipulation in the context of adverse conditions such as glioblastoma and inflammation. Microglia are the resident macrophages found in zebrafish and humans located along the central nervous system in the brain and spinal cord. These cells support the immune system by cleaning any foreign debris. The model will integrate Microglia, NF-kB, and Annexin-5 transgenic lines displaying which genes in the brain are activated via their corresponding fluorescent protein upon the introduction of glioblastoma. Furthermore, a mutant Casper line of zebrafish will introduce a transparent characteristic in adult zebrafish that allows for simpler visualization and observation in the final model. Ultimately, the transgenic model will utilize microglia cells as a mechanism to approach glioblastomas.