The chorioallantoic membrane as a bio-barrier model for the evaluation of nanoscale drug delivery systems for tumour therapy

In 2010, the European Parliament and the European Union adopted a directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. The directive aims to protect animals in scientific research, with the final goal of complete replacement of procedures on live animals for scientific and educational purposes as soon as it is scientifically viable. Furthermore, the directive announces the implementation of the 3Rs principle: ''When choosing methods, the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement should be implemented through a strict hierarchy of the requirement to use alternative methods. The visibility, accessibility, and the rapid growth of the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) offers a clear advantage for various manipulations and for the simulation of different Bio-Barriers according to the 3R principle. The extensive vascularisation on the CAM provides an excellent substrate for the cultivation of tumour cells or tumour xenografts which could be used for the therapeutic evaluation of nanoscale drug delivery systems. The tumour can be targeted either by topical application, intratumoural injection or i.v. injection. Different application sites and biological barriers can be examined within a single model. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In 2010, a directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes was adopted by the European Parliament and the European Union, with the aim of complete replacement of procedures on live animals for scientific and educational purposes. The directive emphasizes the implementation of the 3Rs principle and promotes the use of the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) for tumor cell cultivation and therapeutic evaluation of nanoscale drug delivery systems.