Zebrafish Lymphoma Models

Introduction Model Details Phenotypic Evaluation Applications

Introduction

Lymphoma is a diverse group of hematological malignancies originating from abnormal lymphoid cells and is broadly classified into Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The disease results from uncontrolled proliferation of B cells, T cells, or other lymphocyte populations, leading to abnormal lymphoid tissue expansion, lymph node enlargement, immune dysfunction, and systemic involvement. Although lymphoma can occur at any age, certain subtypes show higher incidence in adults, while some aggressive forms frequently affect children and young adults. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma, and T-cell lymphomas represent major clinical subtypes with distinct molecular characteristics and treatment responses.

Current lymphoma treatment includes combination chemotherapy, targeted therapies, antibody-based therapies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and cellular immunotherapies such as CAR-T cell therapy. Despite significant therapeutic advances, challenges remain due to disease heterogeneity, therapy resistance, relapse after initial treatment, and limited understanding of tumor–microenvironment interactions. Conventional in vitro systems and mammalian models often have limitations in evaluating immune interactions and treatment responses. Therefore, reliable in vivo models are required to investigate lymphoma biology and support therapeutic development.

Why Zebrafish?

Rapid engraftment: Human lymphoma cells can be rapidly engrafted into zebrafish larvae.
Real-time visualization: Transparent larvae enable real-time visualization of tumor dissemination.
Conserved hematopoiesis: Conserved hematopoietic pathways support lymphoma biology studies.
Drug response: Suitable for rapid drug response evaluation.

Available Zebrafish Disease Models

Zebrafish lymphoma models are among the most established hematological cancer models, with both genetically engineered and xenograft approaches widely used for studying tumor initiation, progression, and therapeutic response.

Model Name	Induction Method	Features
MYC-Driven T-cell Lymphoma Transgenic Model	Conditional expression of human c-MYC oncogene in zebrafish T-cell populations using lymphocyte-specific promoters (e.g., rag2 promoter) induces spontaneous T-cell lymphoma development.	One of the best-characterized zebrafish lymphoma models that recapitulates aggressive T-cell lymphoma features, including abnormal lymphocyte expansion and tumor progression. Suitable for studying lymphoma initiation, molecular mechanisms, and therapeutic screening.
Human Lymphoma Cell Xenograft Model	Fluorescently labeled human lymphoma cells (e.g., Jurkat, Ramos, Raji, SU-DHL-4) are microinjected into the yolk sac, perivitelline space, or circulation of immunocompromised zebrafish larvae.	Enables real-time monitoring of lymphoma cell growth, migration, dissemination, and response to anti-cancer agents. Widely used for compound screening and mechanism studies.
Patient-Derived Lymphoma Xenograft (zPDX) Model	Primary lymphoma cells or patient-derived tumor samples are transplanted into immunodeficient zebrafish larvae.	Preserves patient-specific tumor characteristics and supports individualized drug sensitivity assessment.

Phenotypic Evaluation

Hematological Phenotypes

Abnormal lymphocyte accumulation
Hematopoietic disruption
Immune-related changes

Dissemination and Invasion

Systemic tumor cell distribution
Tissue infiltration
Migration behavior

Tumor Burden

Lymphoma cell expansion
Tumor burden quantification
Cell proliferation

Therapeutic Response

Tumor reduction after treatment
Apoptosis induction
Drug sensitivity profile

Key Applications

Lymphoma Initiation and Oncogenic Mechanism Studies: Investigate how oncogenic drivers such as MYC activation promote abnormal lymphocyte expansion and lymphoma development.
Targeted Therapy Evaluation: Assess therapeutic candidates against lymphoma-associated pathways, including MYC signaling, B-cell receptor signaling, and survival pathways.
CAR-T and Immunotherapy Research: Evaluate immune-based therapeutic strategies and tumor cell responses in zebrafish lymphoma models.
Drug Resistance and Relapse Studies: Study mechanisms contributing to treatment resistance and identify potential strategies for overcoming lymphoma recurrence.
Personalized Treatment Assessment: Evaluate patient-specific lymphoma drug responses using patient-derived zebrafish xenograft models.

Accelerate Lymphoma Research with Zebrafish Models

Our zebrafish lymphoma models provide versatile in vivo platforms for studying lymphoid malignancy development, oncogenic mechanisms, therapeutic response, and drug discovery. We support customized lymphoma model establishment, xenograft studies, phenotypic analysis, and compound evaluation to accelerate translational hematological cancer research.

Contact Our Scientists

For research use only. Not intended for any clinical use.