Casper Zebrafish
Casper Zebrafish - Related Videos
04:50
Retro-orbital Injection in Adult Zebrafish
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Cited by 93 •
2009
Here we show how to do retro-orbital injection in adult zebrafish.
04:05
Subcutaneous Transplantation Assay: A Method to Transplant Melanoma Cells from a Donor to a Recipient Zebrafish Model
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2023
This video describes the method for transplantation of tumor cells from the melanoma-bearing donor zebrafish model to an immunocompromised recipient Casper zebrafish. It helps to visualize tumor engraftment and proliferation in the recipient fish.
10:23
Screening for Melanoma Modifiers using a Zebrafish Autochthonous Tumor Model
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Cited by 32 •
2012
A rapid way to screen for melanoma modifiers using a zebrafish autochthonous tumor model is presented. It takes advantage of the miniCoopR vector which allows for expression of candidate melanoma genes in melanocytes. A method to obtain melanoma-free survival curves, an invasion assay, a protocol for antibody staining of scale melanocytes and a melanoma transplantation assay are described.
06:55
In vivo Electroporation of Morpholinos into the Adult Zebrafish Retina
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Cited by 42 •
2011
A method to conditionally knockdown a target protein’s expression in the adult zebrafish retina is described, which involves intravitreally injecting antisense morpholinos and electroporating them into the retina. The resulting protein is knocked down for several days, which allows testing the protein’s role in the regenerating or intact retina.
07:58
Nephrotoxin Microinjection in Zebrafish to Model Acute Kidney Injury
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Cited by 8 •
2016
Renal injuries incurred from nephrotoxins, which include drugs ranging from antibiotics to chemotherapeutics, can result in complex disorders whose pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. This protocol demonstrates how zebrafish can be used for disease modeling of these conditions, which can be applied to the identification of renoprotective measures.
FAQs
The Casper phenotype arises from combining mutations in the nacre and roy orbison genes. Together, these changes eliminate melanophores, which produce dark pigment, and iridophores, which contribute reflective coloration. Because overall development is preserved, researchers gain an optically accessible adult animal for cancer studies without relying on an opaque body that would obstruct direct observation.
Transparency allows investigators to observe fluorescently labeled tumor cells directly within a living animal. This makes it possible to follow changes such as tumor growth, invasion, and angiogenesis over time rather than relying only on a single endpoint or invasive sampling event. The resulting observations connect tumor behavior with its changing biological context during cancer progression.
Live microscopy can reveal several separate features of tumor progression, including expansion of the tumor cell population, movement into surrounding areas, and formation of blood vessels associated with angiogenesis. Imaging can also show how these features change after exposure to candidate therapies. Examining multiple outcomes in the same living model helps researchers assess progression and treatment effects together.
Researchers introduce fluorescently labeled tumor cells into Casper zebrafish and then use live microscopy to locate and monitor them. The fluorescent signal provides a visible marker that supports repeated observation of tumor growth, invasion, and associated angiogenesis. This workflow turns otherwise difficult-to-see cellular behavior into trackable visual data during an in vivo cancer experiment.
A typical workflow begins by introducing fluorescently labeled tumor cells into the transparent fish. Investigators then perform live microscopy to follow the cells and record changes in tumor growth, invasion, angiogenesis, or response to a candidate therapy. Because observations occur in vivo, the model supports longitudinal assessment while reducing the need to collect invasive samples at each stage.
This model is useful when researchers need rapid, visually accessible information about cancer progression or treatment effects in a living animal. It can support studies that track how tumors grow, invade, develop associated blood vessels, or respond to candidate therapies. Its transparency also makes it valuable when repeated direct observation is preferable to relying primarily on invasive sampling.