title: The chick embryo and its chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) for the in vivo evaluation of drug delivery systems.
abstract: Mammalian models are frequently used for preclinical evaluation of new drug delivery systems (DDS). However, valid mammalian models are expensive, time-consuming, and not easy to set up and evaluate. Furthermore, they are often linked to administrative burden with respect to ethical and legal aspects. The present review outlines the possibilities and limitations of using the hen's embryo, and specifically its chorioallantoic membrane (CAM), as an alternative to mammalian models for the evaluation of DDS. Features of the CAM, the anatomy of the embryo, and the blood were investigated to assess properties of the drug carriers such as toxicity and biocompatibility, as well as the activity, toxicity, biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of the drug. The simplicity, rapidity, and low cost of the different assays that can be performed with chick embryos strengthen the interest of routinely using this model in pharmaceutical technology research. It is concluded that there is a big potential for using chick embryos in screening procedures of formulation candidates, thus establishing an intermediate step between in vitro cellular tests and preclinical mammalian models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, 30, Quai Ernest Ansermet, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Angelica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: Magali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zeisser-Labouèbe
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gurny
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Delie
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D002642:Chick Embryo / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D049033:Chorioallantoic Membrane / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents