Emergence of Zebrafish as a Model System for Understanding Human Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a three-dimensional rotation of the spine that is defined as lateral curvature with a Cobb angle greater than 10 degrees. About 2–3% of the global population is affected by scoliosis, and more than 80% of scoliosis are caused by unknown factors (idiopathic). Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is the most common type of scoliosis and occurs in children over 10 years, showing a female predominance. Of scoliosis patients, 10% have curve progression requiring medical interventions such as bracing and surgery. Scoliosis research has been delayed due to the genetic complexity and a lack of relevant animal models for functional studies; however, significant breakthroughs of scoliosis study have recently been made using zebrafish. The zebrafish is a powerful tool, owing to easy genetic manipulation and a natural susceptibility to spinal curvature. Here, we summarize the utility of zebrafish as a model system for human scoliosis.