Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) Assay as an In Vivo Model to Study the Effect of Newly Identified Molecules on Ovarian Cancer Invasion and Metastasis

Abstract

The majority of ovarian cancer patients present with advanced disease and despite aggressive treatment, prognosis remains poor. Significant improvement in ovarian cancer survival will require the development of more effective molecularly targeted therapeutics. Commonly, mouse models are used for the in vivo assessment of potential new therapeutic targets in ovarian cancer. However, animal models are costly and time consuming. Other models, such as the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay, are therefore an attractive alternative. CAM assays have been widely used to study angiogenesis and tumor invasion of colorectal, prostate and brain cancers. However, there have been limited studies that have used CAM assays to assess ovarian cancer invasion and metastasis. We have therefore developed a CAM assay protocol to monitor the metastatic properties of ovarian cancer cells (OVCAR-3, SKOV-3 and OV-90) and to study the effect of potential therapeutic molecules in vivo. The results from the CAM assay are consistent with cancer cell motility and invasion observed in in vitro assays. Our results demonstrate that the CAM assay is a robust and cost effective model to study ovarian cancer cell metastasis. It is therefore a very useful in vivo model for screening of potential novel therapeutics.

Evaluation of Curcumin Capped Copper Nanoparticles as Possible Inhibitors of Human Breast Cancer Cells and Angiogenesis: a Comparative Study with Native Curcumin

“…It is reported that the CAM model is a widely used in vivo model for determining the progress of angiogenesis (45). Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels, and therefore, it is a vital process required for both physiological and pathological conditions (46).…”

The <em>In ovo</em> CAM-assay as a Xenograft Model for Sarcoma

“…For topical administration, the compound is applied on the CAM surface. This route is the most commonly used one, owing to the accessibility to the CAM by simply opening the eggshell/adhesive film 22,23 . Although IV administration is feasible, the difficulty to insert needles into the CAM vessels is a critical limitation.…”

"Comparative Experimental Studies of Few L-Type and T-Type Ca+2 Channel Blockers Against In-Ovo and In-Vitro Models of Angiogenesis"

“…The eggs were property sealed again by using cellophane tape and kept it back to the incubator and they were incubated undisturbed till day 14. On the 14 th day of incubation, the eggs were taken out from the incubator and the CAM tissues directly beneath each filter paper was resected with the help of forceps 15 . The anti-angiogenic effect of the test drugs was quantified by comparing the quantity of blood capillaries mainly under the area of the disk (where the drug was loaded) by capturing the images before and after treatment.…”