biostudies-literatureSmith LMCancer Research UKCentre For Medical Engineering, King’s College LondonWellcome TrustEngineering and Physical Sciences Research CouncilEPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Medical Imaging1https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC7615542biostudies-literatureUnknown1Mouse models are invaluable tools for radiotracer development and validation. They are, however, expensive, low throughput, and are constrained by animal welfare considerations. Here, we assessed the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) as an alternative to mice for preclinical cancer imaging studies. NCI-H460 FLuc cells grown in Matrigel on the CAM formed vascularized tumors of reproducible size without compromising embryo viability. By designing a simple method for vessel cannulation it was possible to perform dynamic PET imaging in ovo, producing high tumor-to-background signal for both ¹⁸F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) and (4S)-4-(3-¹⁸F-fluoropropyl)-L-glutamate (¹⁸F-FSPG). The pattern of ¹⁸F-FDG tumor uptake were similar in ovo and in vivo, although tumor-associated radioactivity was higher in the CAM-grown tumors over the 60 min imaging time course. Additionally, ¹⁸F-FSPG provided an early marker of both treatment response to external beam radiotherapy and target inhibition in ovo. Overall, the CAM provided a low-cost alternative to tumor xenograft mouse models which may broaden access to PET and SPECT imaging and have utility across multiple applications.Npj imagingThe chicken chorioallantoic membrane as a low-cost, high-throughput model for cancer imaging.PMC761554228990S_4274EP/L015226/1EP/S032789/1EP/S022104/1220221220221/Z/20/ZWT203148/Z/16/ZC7893/A28990EP/S019901/1Terry SYATyrrell WEEdwards RSSmith LMde Santis VFirth GSouthworth RBaark FHerrmann AGreenwood HETanc MWitney THfalseThe chicken chorioallantoic membrane as a low-cost, high-throughput model for cancer imaging.Mouse models are invaluable tools for radiotracer development and validation. They are, however, expensive, low throughput, and are constrained by animal welfare considerations. Here, we assessed the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) as an alternative to mice for preclinical cancer imaging studies. NCI-H460 FLuc cells grown in Matrigel on the CAM formed vascularized tumors of reproducible size without compromising embryo viability. By designing a simple method for vessel cannulation it was possible to perform dynamic PET imaging in ovo, producing high tumor-to-background signal for both ¹⁸F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) and (4S)-4-(3-¹⁸F-fluoropropyl)-L-glutamate (¹⁸F-FSPG). The pattern of ¹⁸F-FDG tumor uptake were similar in ovo and in vivo, although tumor-associated radioactivity was higher in the CAM-grown tumors over the 60 min imaging time course. Additionally, ¹⁸F-FSPG provided an early marker of both treatment response to external beam radiotherapy and target inhibition in ovo. Overall, the CAM provided a low-cost alternative to tumor xenograft mouse models which may broaden access to PET and SPECT imaging and have utility across multiple applications.2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Nov2026-06-03T04:27:24.364Z2025-02-19T01:20:55.201ZS-EPMC76155423823970610.1038/s44303-023-00001-3