A new ‘chicken egg tumor model’ has been developed by Fuyuhiko Tamanoi and colleagues of Kyoto University’s Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (oCeMS) that’s versatile and powerful enough to use in analyzing human cancer more efficiently. So far the model has been used to transplant cultured ovarian cancer cells onto in which to see how ovarian tumors form. The formation of ovarian tumors occurred within just three days of the transplant.





Similar results were seen when the team used ovarian samples obtained directly from patients. This proved that the team’s chicken egg model was successful in replicating human cancer. “We were surprised when the tumor was formed in three days,” says Tamanoi. “This is very rapid considering that it takes weeks to do the same with mice.” Using this model that can begin to test for anticancer drugs that are tailored made for each individual.

Alongside colleagues in France and Saudi Arabia, Tamanoi’s team also came up with a new kind of biodegradable silica nanoparticle that’s just 200 nanometers in size. These nanoparticles, called biodegradable PMOs got mixed with an anti-cancer drug called doxorubicin and then tested on the cultured human ovarian tumor. In doing so, the tumors were quickly eliminated without harming any other organs in the process.





When the drug was injected directly into the egg, without mixing it with the nanoparticles first, the researchers witnessed severe organ damage. This indicates that the nanoparticles actually prevent harmful side effects of the anti-cancer drugs from happening because they can target the tumor more direct.

The chicken egg model is beneficial over other models in testing for adequate anti-cancer therapies. Firstly, tumors form quicker on chicken membranes than mice. Secondly, fertilized chicken eggs are far less expensive and kinder to use than live mice.

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