Background:
The chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay is a highly vascularised, immunologically permissive, and cost-effective in vivo model for tumour engraftment [1,2]. Traditionally used in developmental biology and angiogenesis research, the CAM model is now emerging as a valuable translational tool for cancer biology. To complement patient-derived xenografts (PDX) and expand the translational capacity of the Monash Live-Biobanking (MoLBi) platform, we have established the CAM model as a rapid and scalable preclinical system to evaluate tumour growth kinetics, vascular recruitment, immune-cell interactions, and therapeutic response [3].
Methods:
Fertilised specific pathogen-free (SPF) chicken eggs were incubated under controlled conditions (37.5 °C, 60–70% humidity), and shell windows were created at embryonic day (ED) 3. Fresh tumour fragments or dissociated cells - primarily glioblastoma (GBM) and renal cell carcinoma - derived from MoLBi biospecimens were grafted onto the CAM at ED 7 near major vascular bifurcations. Co-engraftment experiments were conducted using HLA-matched human CD8⁺ T cells to examine tumour–immune dynamics. Tumours were monitored for growth by weight and morphological changes, and harvested at ED 14–17 for histological and genomic analysis.
Results:
To date, six GBM and one renal carcinoma tumours have been successfully engrafted, with tumour weights doubling (20 to 40 mg) within 7–10 days. Two tumours were harvested at ED 17 for histological analysis, while others were passaged into a second CAM cohort, demonstrating model scalability. Co-engraftment with human immune cells was feasible, enabling the study of tumour–immune cell dynamics. Integration of CAM assays with MoLBi PDX models is underway to permit bidirectional passage and comparative molecular profiling.
Conclusion:
The CAM model offers a rapid, technically simple, cheaper, and ethically advantageous complement to murine PDX systems within MoLBi. By integrating CAM assays with MoLBi’s genomic and immunopeptidomic pipelines, CAM-on-MoLBi enables short-turnaround translational studies, accelerates immunotherapy development, and strengthens Monash’s capacity for precision oncology research.