REVIEW article
Front. Med.
Sec. Ophthalmology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1545958
This article is part of the Research TopicGenome Editing in Animal Models for Human DiseasesView all 3 articles
Systematic Review: Xenopus laevis as a Model for Ophthalmic Development and Disease Research
Provisionally accepted
- First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Model organisms have played a pivotal role in ophthalmic research, providing essential platforms to investigate eye development, regeneration mechanisms, and disease pathology. Recent advancements in gene editing technologies and experimental methodologies have enabled the successful simulation of various human eye diseases, including glaucoma, retinal degeneration, and corneal disorders in model systems. These models have significantly advanced the understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying ocular diseases and facilitated the screening and validation of potential therapeutic agents. Xenopus laevis (X. laevis) has emerged as an ideal system for developmental biology research due to its rapid embryonic development, transparent embryos, and ease of observation and manipulation. Its fully sequenced genome allows precise genetic modifications, including gene knockout, knock-in, and expression regulation studies. In ophthalmic research, X. laevis is widely used for studying eye development, disease modeling, and ocular structure. Its accessible embryonic stages and well-characterized eye development make it a valuable model for retinal disease investigations. This review systematically summarizes the applications, construction methods, and research significance of X. laevis models in eye development, disease modeling, and drug screening. It provides an in-depth perspective on the utility of X. laevis in foundational ophthalmic research, offering insights to guide future studies.
Keywords: X. laevis, Eye, Development model, disease model, Ophthalmology
Received: 19 Dec 2024; Accepted: 13 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Li, Feng and Zhu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Yun Feng, superjune@sina.com
Xuechen Zhu, zhuxc@bjmu.edu.cn
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