Fish For Therapeutics – universal in vivo platform for biomedical studies and novel therapeutics discovery

Program „Pokreni se za nauku” Phillip Morris Company, 2020-2021
Principal Investigator: Dr Aleksandar Pavic, IMGGI
Participants from IMGGE: Dr Sanja Jeremic, Natasa Radakovic

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) model has experienced a rapid popularity and expansion over the past ten years, and today represents an essential model system in preclinical trials for new drugs discovery, providing testing their efficacy, toxicity and biocompatibility. Having a wide application in biomedical researches, the zebrafish xenograft model of human cancers represents the universal biotechnological platform for new anticancer and antiangiogenic drugs discovery, as well as the identification of substances that, individually or in combination, could stimulate the tumor growth, dissemination and metastasis in humans. Given that the cancer, immunity disturbance and associated fungal infections present  diseases of modern man, the main goal of this project is focused on the protection of human health from harmful environmental influences, and will be realized through three different aspects: 1) establishing the zebrafish - oral squamous cell carcinoma xenograft model of infection with Candida spp. using the patient-derived tumor and fungal cells, 2) identification of substances and mixtures present in food and beverages that may contribute to the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma and oral candidiasis, as well as examination of their impact on the efficacy of clinical anticancer and antifungal drugs, 3) testing of efficacy of clinically approved drugs and their novel derivatives in the newly established zebrafish model, and the selection of the most effective combination therapy for the treatment of each patient suffering from oral squamous cell carcinoma and developed oral candidiasis.