Next-Generation Alternative Models for Fish Health Research and Aquaculture

Aquaculture sustainability requires improved fish health strategies that enhance disease prevention, nutrition and management while reducing reliance on experimental animals. Although in vivo studies remain essential, they are resource-intensive and raise ethical considerations. Advances in alternative models, including fish cell lines, primary cultures, tissue explants, organoids and organ-on-a-chip systems, provide new opportunities to study immune responses, host-pathogen interactions, barrier function, microbiota communication and functional ingredients under controlled conditions. Ensuring the physiological relevance, validation and predictive capacity of these models is essential for their broader application and contribution to the 3Rs in aquaculture.This Research Topic aims to showcase advances in the development, validation and application of in vitro, ex vivo and alternative models for studying fish health and disease. We invite research demonstrating how these approaches can complement or reduce animal experimentation while providing mechanistic and translational insights into immunity, pathogen interactions, microbiota, nutrition and mucosal health. Particular interest is given to studies evaluating model robustness, physiological relevance and predictive capacity through comparison with in vivo responses or aquaculture-relevant outcomes. We also welcome applications supporting the evaluation of functional feeds, bioactive compounds, probiotics, prebiotics and other health-promoting strategies. Contributions integrating multicellular systems, emerging technologies and rigorous validation approaches are encouraged to advance reproducible, predictive and sustainable experimental models for aquaculture research.We welcome original research, reviews, methodological papers and perspectives on alternative experimental models for fish health and disease research. Topics include:• Development and validation of fish cell models, tissue explants, organoids, co-culture systems and microphysiological platforms• Applications in host-pathogen interactions, immunity, mucosal health and epithelial barrier function• Evaluation of functional feeds, bioactive compounds, probiotics and nutritional strategies• Alternative approaches for vaccine, toxicology and environmental stress assessment• Integration of omics, imaging, biomarkers and high-throughput screening• Comparative and translational studies linking alternative models with in vivo responses Topic editors: Mariana Ferreira, Sonia Gomes, Youngjin Park Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84540/next-generation-alternative-models-for-fish-health-research-and-aquaculture