Characterization of the Chicken Ovarian Cancer Model

摘要

We believe that the domestic laying hen has great potential as an animal model for ovarian cancer prevention research. Unlike other ovarian cancer models, which require experimental induction of ovarian tumors, chickens develop ovarian adenocarcinoma spontaneously, with an incidence ranging from 13 to 40 percent between four and six years of life. Few investigators have taken advantage of the chicken to study ovarian cancer. Thus, the chicken ovarian cancer model remains to be validated and developed. As part of a prevention trial in chickens funded by the Department of Defense, we have accumulated 1400 chicken reproductive tracts including 140 with adenocarcinomas, and gathered valuable data regarding the natural history of these tumors. This provides the remarkable opportunity to critically evaluate the chicken ovarian cancer animal model and determine its relevance to human ovarian cancer research. The aim of the current proposal is to increase our understanding of the molecular and histologic features of chicken ovarian cancers. In addition, we will develop a histologic classification for chicken ovarian cancers, which is a critically important prerequisite to the widespread use of this animal model for ovarian cancer research.