Feng Guodong, Peng Weili, Ma Zhenfeng, Shi Houhui, Zhang Jiaqi, Song Bin, Chen Jun, Liang Yi-Jun
Department of Radiology, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Cancer Center, Department of Interventional Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China.
Quant Imaging Med Surg. 2025 Sep 1;15(9):7977-7988. doi: 10.21037/qims-2024-2612. Epub 2025 Aug 13.
The chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) tumor model has garnered significant interest due to its robust applications in research. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the characteristics of nodules at different developmental stages and their corresponding imaging features. This study aimed to establish correlations between nodule attributes and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features via an pancreatic cancer CAM model. Furthermore, this study explored the potential of functional MRI techniques in quantitatively discriminating pathological characteristics.
A total of 50 chicken embryos were cultured through embryonic day (ED) 3, then transferred to a customized chamber for culture and subsequent experiments. On ED7, cancer cell mixtures [pancreatic cancer cells mixed with Matrigel and Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (DMEM)] were implanted on the CAM to establish the cancer model. At each observation time point (ED10, ED12, and ED14), eight models were randomly selected for multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI) via a 3.0 Tesla (T) magnetic resonance (MR) scanner and pathological examination. The remaining models were observed on ED16. Quantitative assessments including tumor nodule volume, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and T1 values were further correlated with histopathological findings.
Among 50 embryos, 90% (45/50) underwent tumor implantation, with 68% (34/50) models completing mpMRI scanning and pathological examination (n=8 at each of the first three time points; n=10 at the last time point). MRI could clearly observe differences in tumor signals, except for the T1 mapping sequence. Nodule volumes were 60.40±12.18 mm on ED12, 87.44±17.45 mm on ED14, and 108.13±5.45 mm on ED16, showing significant progression (P<0.001 for all intergroup comparations). ADC values were (1.47±0.48)×10⁻ mm/s on ED12, (1.32±0.13)×10⁻ mm/s on ED14 (P=0.29 ED12), and (0.96±0.07)×10⁻ mm/s on ED16 (P<0.05 both earlier time points). T1 relaxation times were measured (1.64±0.31)×10 ms on ED12, (1.73±0.16)×10 ms on ED14, and (1.74±0.29)×10 ms on ED16, with no significant variations (P=0.69 for all intergroup comparisons). Pathological examination confirmed viable tumor cells in all specimens, demonstrating ring-like tumor tissue by ED12 that progressively replaced the Matrigel over subsequent time points.
The CAM serves as a reliable and reproducible experimental platform. Conventional 3.0 T MRI provides high-resolution morphological assessment of tumor dynamics, whereas functional imaging techniques offer promising capabilities for quantifying inter-nodular heterogeneity.
鸡胚绒毛尿囊膜（CAM）肿瘤模型因其在研究中的广泛应用而备受关注。然而，对于不同发育阶段结节的特征及其相应的影像学特征，人们了解不足。本研究旨在通过胰腺癌CAM模型建立结节属性与磁共振成像（MRI）特征之间的相关性。此外，本研究还探讨了功能MRI技术在定量鉴别病理特征方面的潜力。
共培养50只鸡胚至胚胎第3天，然后转移至定制培养箱进行培养及后续实验。在胚胎第7天，将癌细胞混合物（胰腺癌细胞与基质胶和杜氏改良 Eagle 培养基（DMEM）混合）植入CAM以建立癌症模型。在每个观察时间点（胚胎第10天、第12天和第14天），随机选择8个模型通过3.0特斯拉（T）磁共振（MR）扫描仪进行多参数MRI（mpMRI）检查和病理检查。其余模型在胚胎第16天进行观察。包括肿瘤结节体积、表观扩散系数（ADC）和T1值在内的定量评估进一步与组织病理学结果相关联。
在50个胚胎中，90%（45/50）成功植入肿瘤，68%（34/50）的模型完成了mpMRI扫描和病理检查（前三个时间点各8个；最后一个时间点10个）。除T1映射序列外，MRI能够清晰观察到肿瘤信号的差异。胚胎第12天结节体积为60.40±12.18mm，胚胎第14天为87.44±17.45mm, 胚胎第16天为108.13±5.45mm，显示出显著进展（所有组间比较P<0.001）。胚胎第12天ADC值为(1.47±0.48)×10⁻⁶mm²/s，胚胎第14天为(1.32±0.13)×10⁻⁶mm²/s（与胚胎第12天比较P=0.29），胚胎第16天为(0.96±0.07)×10⁻⁶mm²/s（与两个较早时间点比较P<0.05）。胚胎第12天T1弛豫时间测量值为(1.64±0.31)×10⁻³ms，胚胎第14天为(1.73±0.16)×10⁻³ms，胚胎第16天为(1.74±0.29)×10⁻³ms，无显著差异（所有组间比较P=0.69）。病理检查证实所有标本中均存在存活的肿瘤细胞，胚胎第12天可见环状肿瘤组织，在随后的时间点逐渐取代基质胶。
CAM是一个可靠且可重复的实验平台。传统的3.0T MRI提供了肿瘤动态的高分辨率形态学评估，而功能成像技术在量化结节间异质性方面具有很大潜力。
