Fishing for clues about human diseases

Researchers at the University of Sheffield are using tropical fish to help understand human diseases such as heart disease, asthma and Parkinson´s disease. Zebrafish, a minnow-like fish, could provide vital information about the causes and progression of these, and other, human diseases. Scientists and doctors from the University´s Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Developmental and Biomedical Genetics, (CDBG), will be exhibiting their research at the prestigious Royal Society´s annual Summer Science Exhibition which opens today (30 June 2009). The exhibition, Fishing for Clues, will explore several examples of how zebrafish are being used to further medical research into human diseases. Zebrafish have a number of unique characteristics that make them a perfect species for investigating human diseases. They share many genes with humans that are used in both species to build and maintain a healthy body. Genes can be easily added or removed in zebrafish, allowing scientists to investigate why failing genes can result in disease.