Research conducted with zebrafish can contribute to personalised medicine approaches, including the selection of the most individually suitable treatments for patients with cancer.
The 91 boasts the establishment of new research unit, where zebrafish are utilised for biological and medical research. Zebrafish may, at first, seem like an unlikely subject for research, but they have surprisingly much in common with humans: zebrafish share many genetic similarities with humans, and their rapid development provides researchers with an efficient way to monitor, e.g., the progression of diseases as well as treatment responses.
Although the UEF Zebrafish Research Unit has only been operational for a few months, research is already very active. According to Coordinator Henriikka Hakomäki, the unit is, among other things, currently developing a promising method for predicting individual drug responses in patients with cancer. The project involves collaboration with Associate Professor Ahmed Al-Samad, Research Director Kirsi Ketola and the recently established Living Tumour Lab.
“T in vivo screening method that is currently under development allows us to assess how individual patients’ cancer cells react to various drugs. This makes it possible to identify the drugs that are most likely to be effective in each specific case,” Hakomäki explains.
In practice, this means that patients could receive personalised treatment more quickly and reliably in the future, hopefully avoiding unnecessary testing of different drugs and improving treatment outcomes. From the patient’s perspective, this is significant – a possibility to obtain personalised treatment that can save time, effort and, often, human suffering.
The establishment of the UEF Zebrafish Research Unit was made possible by a bequest to the university, which enabled the construction of the necessary infrastructure and the acquisition of the necessary equipment. “We are deeply grateful for this significant support, which lays the foundation for long-term research and new insights,” Hakomäki says.
This is an excellent example of how donations – regardless of their amount – can advance science and address the challenges of today and tomorrow.
For researchers and students, the UEF Zebrafish Research Unit offers a modern and versatile working environment. Zebrafish provide a window to phenomena that would otherwise be impossible to study – and thus may help find new ways to improve human life.
