THE PROBLEM
In collaboration with the University of California, Irvine (UCI), the Department has recently established a new effort to examine novel compounds for the treatment of PTSD using a non-mammalian rapid throughput model. The zebrafish, or Danio rerio, has been established as a new species at USU and will be employed in a behavioral screening model using early stage embryos. This rapid throughput model will be used to identify candidate compounds for testing in additional pre-clinical models of stress with the goal of creating therapeutic agents for the treatment of PTSD. The zebrafish lab is currently creating standardized profiles of known compounds and coordinating with collaborators regarding future directions for compound screening. The first novel compounds to be tested include fatty acid amide hydro-lase (FAAH) inhibitors, with activity in the endocannabinoid system. Successful compounds will then be evaluated in an established rodent model at UCI.