# A Bird’s Eye View: A Close Look into Avian CAM Models for Translational Blood Cancer Research

## TL;DR

This paper reviews the potential of avian chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) models as a fast, ethical alternative to mouse models for studying blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.

## Contribution

The paper highlights the underexplored use of CAM models for haematological malignancies and their translational potential in bridging in vitro and in vivo studies.

## Key findings

- CAM models allow real-time observation of tumour growth and angiogenesis in an immunocompetent system.
- They offer a cost-effective and ethical alternative to traditional mouse xenograft models for blood cancer research.
- The models have been successfully used for leukaemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma studies.

## Abstract

The incidence and mortality associated with haematological malignancies are significant, and there is a pressing need for fast, scalable in vivo experimental models that overcome some of the drawbacks of existing mouse models. This review explores the utility of the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) in immunocompetent avian embryos as an alternative site for the growth of blood cancer xenografts. Despite being under-utilised for research in blood cancers relative to carcinomas, CAM models show much promise in recapitulating key elements of disease biology and treatment responsiveness in a simpler in vivo system, which falls outside the jurisdiction of traditional animal research parameters. This review summarises the evidence of their successful use for leukaemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma research to date, and offers perspectives on their limitations and necessary considerations for future translational research involving CAM models.

The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) is a well-vascularised extra-embryonic membrane that supports avian embryonic development and can be used as an implantation site for xenograft models of various cancers. CAM tumour research models are powerful and versatile, offering a rapid, cost-effective and ethical complement to mouse xenograft studies. Their capacity for real-time observation of tumour growth, angiogenesis and metastasis within an immunocompetent living organism is particularly compelling. While CAM models have been extensively utilised for investigating solid cancers, such as breast, lung and pancreatic, their potential for haematological malignancy research remains comparatively underexplored. This review examines the relevance, advantages and translational potential of avian CAM models in studying blood cancers. Their applications across three primary categories are discussed—leukaemias, lymphomas and myelomas—highlighting experimental approaches that replicate aspects of human disease progression and therapeutic responsiveness. Moreover, the review evaluates species-specific considerations relevant to model fidelity, including evolutionary distance and functional parallels between avian and human haematopoiesis. These comparisons underscore both the opportunities and limitations for utilising CAM models in haematologic malignancy research. For their potential to investigate mechanisms of cancer development and treatment in simple but immunocompetent in vivo settings, we propose that CAM tumour models offer high value as a bridge between in vitro and mammalian in vivo studies for haematology translational research.