RSPO3 is a prognostic biomarker and mediator of invasiveness in prostate cancer

Prostate Cancer Progression Modeling Provides Insight into Dynamic Molecular Changes Associated with Progressive Disease States

Prostate cancer is a significant health concern and the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men worldwide. Understanding the complex process of prostate tumor evolution and progression is crucial for improved diagnosis, treatments, and patient outcomes. Previous studies have focused on unraveling the dynamics of prostate cancer evolution using phylogenetic or lineage analysis approaches. However, those approaches have limitations in capturing the complete disease process or incorporating genomic and transcriptomic variations comprehensively. In this study, we applied a novel computational approach to derive a prostate cancer progression model using multidimensional data from 497 prostate tumor samples and 52 tumor-adjacent normal samples obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas study. The model was validated using data from an independent cohort of 545 primary tumor samples. By integrating transcriptomic and genomic data, our model provides a comprehensive view of prostate tumor progression, identifies crucial signaling pathways and genetic events, and uncovers distinct transcription signatures associated with disease progression. Our findings have significant implications for cancer research and hold promise for guiding personalized treatment strategies in prostate cancer.

SIGNIFICANCE

We developed and validated a progression model of prostate cancer using >1,000 tumor and normal tissue samples. The model provided a comprehensive view of prostate tumor evolution and progression.

Evaluation of the gene fusion landscape in early onset sporadic rectal cancer reveals association with chromatin architecture and genome stability

Gene fusions represent a distinct class of structural variants identified frequently in cancer genomes across cancer types. Several gene fusions exhibit gain of oncogenic function and thus have been the focus of development of efficient targeted therapies. However, investigation of fusion landscape in early-onset sporadic rectal cancer, a poorly studied colorectal cancer subtype prevalent in developing countries, has not been performed. Here, we present a comprehensive landscape of gene fusions in EOSRC and CRC using patient derived tumor samples and data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, respectively. Gene Ontology analysis revealed enrichment of unique biological process terms associated with 5'- and 3'- fusion partner genes. Extensive network analysis highlighted genes exhibiting significant promiscuity in fusion formation and their association with chromosome fragile sites. Investigation of fusion formation in the context of global chromatin architecture unraveled a novel mode of gene activation that arose from fusion between genes located in orthogonal chromatin compartments. The study provides novel evidence linking fusions to genome stability and architecture and unearthed a hitherto unidentified mode of gene activation in cancer.

The Potential of Extracellular Matrix- and Integrin Adhesion Complex-Related Molecules for Prostate Cancer Biomarker Discovery

Prostate cancer is among the top five cancer types according to incidence and mortality. One of the main obstacles in prostate cancer management is the inability to foresee its course, which ranges from slow growth throughout years that requires minimum or no intervention to highly aggressive disease that spreads quickly and resists treatment. Therefore, it is not surprising that numerous studies have attempted to find biomarkers of prostate cancer occurrence, risk stratification, therapy response, and patient outcome. However, only a few prostate cancer biomarkers are used in clinics, which shows how difficult it is to find a novel biomarker. Cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM) through integrins is among the essential processes that govern its fate. Upon activation and ligation, integrins form multi-protein intracellular structures called integrin adhesion complexes (IACs). In this review article, the focus is put on the biomarker potential of the ECM- and IAC-related molecules stemming from both body fluids and prostate cancer tissue. The processes that they are involved in, such as tumor stiffening, bone turnover, and communication via exosomes, and their biomarker potential are also reviewed.

Upregulation of RSPO3 via targeted promoter DNA demethylation inhibits the progression of cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) refers to a collection of malignant tumors that develop from the biliary epithelium. Extensive clinical evidence and epidemiological observations indicate a concerning increase in both the incidence and mortality rates of CCA. Surgical resection is currently the sole available cure for CCA. However, it is unfortunate that only a fraction of patients has access to surgery at the time of diagnosis. Moreover, there is a high incidence of cancer recurrence after resection, and systemic treatments have limited efficacy. Therefore, the identification of novel biomarkers for CCA-targeted molecular therapy remains a crucial task in oncology research.

RESULTS

Our study demonstrated that low expression of RSPO3 was associated with poorer survival rates in patients with CCA. We found that the RSPO3 promoter DNA was hypermethylated in CCA, which was correlated with the low expression of RSPO3. The expression of RSPO3 was influenced by the balance between the DNA methyltransferase DNMT3a and the DNA demethylase TET1 in CCA. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that targeting RSPO3 promoter DNA methylation using dCas9DNMT3a promoted tumorigenicity of CCA, while targeted RSPO3 promoter DNA demethylation using dCas9TET1CD inhibited CCA tumorigenicity. Additionally, in our primary CCA model, knockdown of Rspo3 promoted CCA progression, whereas overexpression of Rspo3 inhibited CCA progression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that increased methylation and decreased expression of RSPO3 may indicate a poor prognosis in CCA. Restoring RSPO3 expression by targeting promoter DNA demethylation could offer insights for precise treatment of CCA.

IL1R1+ cancer-associated fibroblasts drive tumor development and immunosuppression in colorectal cancer

Fibroblasts have a considerable functional and molecular heterogeneity and can play various roles in the tumor microenvironment. Here we identify a pro-tumorigenic IL1R1⁺, IL-1-high-signaling subtype of fibroblasts, using multiple colorectal cancer (CRC) patient single cell sequencing datasets. This subtype of fibroblasts is linked to T cell and macrophage suppression and leads to increased cancer cell growth in 3D co-culture assays. Furthermore, both a fibroblast-specific IL1R1 knockout and IL-1 receptor antagonist Anakinra administration reduce tumor growth in vivo. This is accompanied by reduced intratumoral Th17 cell infiltration. Accordingly, CRC patients who present with IL1R1-expressing cancer-associated-fibroblasts (CAFs), also display elevated levels of immune exhaustion markers, as well as an increased Th17 score and an overall worse survival. Altogether, this study underlines the therapeutic value of targeting IL1R1-expressing CAFs in the context of CRC.

Multiplex protein analysis and ensemble machine learning methods of fine needle aspirates from prostate cancer patients reveal potential diagnostic signatures associated with tumour grade

BACKGROUND

Improved molecular diagnosis is needed in prostate cancer (PC). Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is a minimally invasive biopsy technique, less traumatic compared to core needle biopsy, and could be useful for diagnosis of PC. Molecular biomarkers (BMs) in FNA-samples can be assessed for prediction, eg of immunotherapy efficacy before treatment as well as at treatment decision time points during disease progression.

METHODS

In the present pilot study, the expression levels of 151 BM proteins were analysed by proximity extension assay in FNA-samples from 16 patients, including benign prostate lesions (n = 3) and cancers (n = 13). An ensemble data analysis strategy was applied using several machine learning models.

RESULTS

Twelve potentially predictive BM proteins correlating with International Society of Urological Pathology grade groups were identified, among them vimentin, tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2, and integrin beta-5. The validity of the results was supported by network analysis that showed functional associations between most of the identified putative BMs. We also showed that multiple immune checkpoint targets can be assessed (eg PD-L1, CD137, and Galectin-9), which may support the selection of immunotherapy in advanced PC. Results are promising but need further validation in a larger cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

Our pilot study represents a "proof of concept" and shows that multiplex profiling of potential diagnostic and predictive BM proteins is feasible on tumour material obtained by FNA sampling of prostate cancer. Moreover, our results demonstrate that an ensemble data analysis strategy may facilitate the identification of BM signatures in pilot studies when the patient cohort is limited.

Integration of multiomics data shows down regulation of mismatch repair and tubulin pathways in triple-negative chemotherapy-resistant breast tumors

BACKGROUND

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype. Patients with TNBC are primarily treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). The response to NAC is prognostic, with reductions in overall survival and disease-free survival rates in those patients who do not achieve a pathological complete response (pCR). Based on this premise, we hypothesized that paired analysis of primary and residual TNBC tumors following NAC could identify unique biomarkers associated with post-NAC recurrence.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We investigated 24 samples from 12 non-LAR TNBC patients with paired pre- and post-NAC data, including four patients with recurrence shortly after surgery (< 24 months) and eight who remained recurrence-free (> 48 months). These tumors were collected from a prospective NAC breast cancer study (BEAUTY) conducted at the Mayo Clinic. Differential expression analysis of pre-NAC biopsies showed minimal gene expression differences between early recurrent and nonrecurrent TNBC tumors; however, post-NAC samples demonstrated significant alterations in expression patterns in response to intervention. Topological-level differences associated with early recurrence were implicated in 251 gene sets, and an independent assessment of microarray gene expression data from the 9 paired non-LAR samples available in the NAC I-SPY1 trial confirmed 56 gene sets. Within these 56 gene sets, 113 genes were observed to be differentially expressed in the I-SPY1 and BEAUTY post-NAC studies. An independent (n = 392) breast cancer dataset with relapse-free survival (RFS) data was used to refine our gene list to a 17-gene signature. A threefold cross-validation analysis of the gene signature with the combined BEAUTY and I-SPY1 data yielded an average AUC of 0.88 for six machine-learning models. Due to the limited number of studies with pre- and post-NAC TNBC tumor data, further validation of the signature is needed.

CONCLUSION

Analysis of multiomics data from post-NAC TNBC chemoresistant tumors showed down regulation of mismatch repair and tubulin pathways. Additionally, we identified a 17-gene signature in TNBC associated with post-NAC recurrence enriched with down-regulated immune genes.

Tumor decellularization reveals proteomic and mechanical characteristics of the extracellular matrix of primary liver cancer

Tumor initiation and progression are critically dependent on interaction of cancer cells with their cellular and extracellular microenvironment. Alterations in the composition, integrity, and mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) dictate tumor processes including cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Also in primary liver cancer, consisting of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), the dysregulation of the extracellular environment by liver fibrosis and tumor desmoplasia is pertinent. Yet, the exact changes occurring in liver cancer ECM remain uncharacterized and underlying tumor-promoting mechanisms remain largely unknown. Herein, an integrative molecular and mechanical approach is used to extensively characterize the ECM of HCC and CCA tumors by utilizing an optimized decellularization technique. We identified a myriad of proteins in both tumor and adjacent liver tissue, uncovering distinct malignancy-related ECM signatures. The resolution of this approach unveiled additional ECM-related proteins compared to large liver cancer transcriptomic datasets. The differences in ECM protein composition resulted in divergent mechanical properties on a macro- and micro-scale that are tumor-type specific. Furthermore, the decellularized tumor ECM was employed to create a tumor-specific hydrogel that supports patient-derived tumor organoids, which provides a new avenue for personalized medicine applications. Taken together, this study contributes to a better understanding of alterations to composition, stiffness, and collagen alignment of the tumor ECM that occur during liver cancer development.

Identification and construction of a 13-gene risk model for prognosis prediction in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

We attempted to screen out the feature genes associated with the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients through bioinformatics methods, to generate a risk model to predict the survival rate of patients. Gene expression information of HCC was accessed from GEO database, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained through the joint analysis of multi-chip. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses of DEGs indicated that the enrichment was mainly displayed in biological processes such as nuclear division. Based on TCGA-LIHC data set, univariate, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression analyses were conducted on the DEGs. Then, 13 feature genes were screened for the risk model. Also, the hub genes were examined in our collected clinical samples and GEPIA database. The performance of the risk model was validated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curves. While its universality was verified in GSE76427 and ICGC (LIRI-JP) validation cohorts. Besides, through combining patients' clinical features (age, gender, T staging, and stage) and risk scores, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that the risk score was an effective independent prognostic factor. Finally, a nomogram was implemented for 3-year and 5-year overall survival prediction of patients. Our findings aid precision prediction for prognosis of HCC patients.

Exploring the Wnt Pathway as a Therapeutic Target for Prostate Cancer

Aberrant activation of the Wnt pathway is emerging as a frequent event during prostate cancer that can facilitate tumor formation, progression, and therapeutic resistance. Recent discoveries indicate that targeting the Wnt pathway to treat prostate cancer may be efficacious. However, the functional consequence of activating the Wnt pathway during the different stages of prostate cancer progression remains unclear. Preclinical work investigating the efficacy of targeting Wnt signaling for the treatment of prostate cancer, both in primary and metastatic lesions, and improving our molecular understanding of treatment responses is crucial to identifying effective treatment strategies and biomarkers that help guide treatment decisions and improve patient care. In this review, we outline the type of genetic alterations that lead to activated Wnt signaling in prostate cancer, highlight the range of laboratory models used to study the role of Wnt genetic drivers in prostate cancer, and discuss new mechanistic insights into how the Wnt cascade facilitates prostate cancer growth, metastasis, and drug resistance.

A Review of Prostate Organogenesis and a Role for iPSC-Derived Prostate Organoids to Study Prostate Development and Disease

The prostate is vulnerable to two major age-associated diseases, cancer and benign enlargement, which account for significant morbidity and mortality for men across the globe. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer reported in men, with over 1.2 million new cases diagnosed and 350,000 deaths recorded annually worldwide. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), characterised by the continuous enlargement of the adult prostate, symptomatically afflicts around 50% of men worldwide. A better understanding of the biological processes underpinning these diseases is needed to generate new treatment approaches. Developmental studies of the prostate have shed some light on the processes essential for prostate organogenesis, with many of these up- or downregulated genes expressions also observed in prostate cancer and/or BPH progression. These insights into human disease have been inferred through comparative biological studies relying primarily on rodent models. However, directly observing mechanisms of human prostate development has been more challenging due to limitations in accessing human foetal material. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could provide a suitable alternative as they can mimic embryonic cells, and iPSC-derived prostate organoids present a significant opportunity to study early human prostate developmental processes. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of prostate development and its relevance to prostate-associated diseases. Additionally, we detail the potential of iPSC-derived prostate organoids for studying human prostate development and disease.

The role of R-spondin proteins in cancer biology

R-spondin (RSPO) proteins constitute a family of four secreted glycoproteins (RSPO1-4) that have appeared as multipotent signaling ligands. The best-known molecular function of RSPOs lie within their capacity to agonize the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. As RSPOs act upon cognate receptors LGR4/5/6 that are typically expressed by stem cells and progenitor cells, RSPO proteins importantly potentiate Wnt/β-catenin signaling especially within these proliferative stem cell compartments. Since multiple organs express LGR4/5/6 receptors and RSPO ligands within their stem cell niches, RSPOs can exert an influential role in stem cell regulation throughout the body. Inherently, over the last decade a multitude of reports implicated the deregulation of RSPOs in cancer development. First, RSPO2 and RSPO3 gene fusions with concomitant enhanced expression have been identified in colon cancer patients, and proposed as an alternative driver of Wnt/β-catenin hyperactivation that earmarks cancer in the colorectal tract. Moreover, the causal oncogenic capacity of RSPO3 overactivation has been demonstrated in the mouse intestine. As a paradigm organ in this field, most of current knowledge about RSPOs in cancer is derived from studies in the intestinal tract. However, RSPO gene fusions as well as enhanced RSPO expression have been reported in multiple additional cancer types, affecting different organs that involve divergent stem cell hierarchies. Importantly, the emerging oncogenic role of RSPO and its potential clinical utility as a therapeutic target have been recognized and investigated in preclinical and clinical settings. This review provides a survey of current knowledge on the role of RSPOs in cancer biology, addressing the different organs implicated, and of efforts made to explore intervention opportunities in cancer cases with RSPO overrepresentation, including the potential utilization of RSPO as novel therapeutic target itself.

Targeted proteomics-derived biomarker profile develops a multi-protein classifier in liquid biopsies for early detection of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma from a population-based case-control study

BACKGROUND

Early diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains a challenge due to the lack of specific blood biomarkers. We aimed to develop a serum multi-protein signature for the early detection of ESCC.

METHODS

We selected 70 healthy controls, 30 precancerous patients, 60 stage I patients, 70 stage II patients and 70 stage III/IV ESCC patients from a completed ESCC case-control study in a high-risk area of China. Olink Multiplex Oncology II targeted proteomics panel was used to simultaneously detect the levels of 92 cancer-related proteins in serum using proximity extension assay.

RESULTS

We found that 10 upregulated and 13 downregulated protein biomarkers in serum could distinguish the early-stage ESCC from healthy controls, which were validated by the significant dose-response relationships with ESCC pathological progression. Applying least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and backward elimination algorithm, ANXA1 (annexin A1), hK8 (kallikrein-8), hK14 (kallikrein-14), VIM (vimentin), and RSPO3 (R-spondin-3) were kept in the final model to discriminate early ESCC cases from healthy controls with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.936 (95% confidence interval: 0.899 ~ 0.973). The average accuracy rates of the five-protein classifier were 0.861 and 0.825 in training and test data by five-fold cross-validation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggested that a combination of ANXA1, hK8, hK14, VIM and RSPO3 serum proteins could be considered as a potential tool for screening and early diagnosis of ESCC, especially with the establishment of a three-level hierarchical screening strategy for ESCC control.

Tumor grafted - chick chorioallantoic membrane as an alternative model for biological cancer research and conventional/nanomaterial-based theranostics evaluation

Introduction: Advancements in cancer management and treatment are associated with strong preclinical research data, in which reliable cancer models are demanded. Indeed, inconsistent preclinical findings and stringent regulations following the 3Rs principle of reduction, refinement, and replacement of conventional animal models currently pose challenges in the development and translation of efficient technologies. The chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) is a system for the evaluation of treatment effects on the vasculature, therefore suitable for studies on angiogenesis. Apart from vascular effects, the model is now increasingly employed as a preclinical cancer model following tumor-grafting procedures.Areas covered: The broad application of CAM tumor model is highlighted along with the methods for analyzing the neoplasm and vascular system. The presented and cited investigations focus on cancer biology and treatment, encompassing both conventional and emerging nanomaterial-based modalities.Expert opinion: The CAM tumor model finds increased significance given the influences of angiogenesis and the tumor microenvironment in cancer behavior, then providing a qualified miniature system for oncological research. Ultimately, the establishment and increased employment of such a model may resolve some of the limitations present in the standard preclinical tumor models, thereby redefining the preclinical research workflow.

RSPO3 is a marker candidate for predicting tumor aggressiveness in ovarian cancer

Background

Ovarian cancer, a highly aggressive and heterogeneous gynecological malignancy that has long been difficult for physicians to identify and treat, requires more effective and precise molecular targets. R-spondin 3 (RSPO3) is a secreted protein that plays a tumorigenic role in several human cancers. However, the functional contribution and prognostic role of RSPO3 in ovarian cancer remain unclear.

Methods

RSPO3 expression in ovarian cancer tissues was assessed using western blotting, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and immunohistochemistry, and its relationships to clinicopathological parameters were investigated using the data of 179 ovarian cancer patients. RSPO3’s biological function was evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation, wound healing, and Matrigel transwell assay in RSPO3-knockdown and RSPO3-overexpression ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV3 and OVCAR3. The possible biological processes associated with RSPO3 were identified using functional enrichment analysis based on the transcriptome sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) ovarian cancer cohort and our experimental cells, and further verified using western blotting and immunofluorescence in the ovarian cancer cell model.

Results

The RSPO3 mRNA and protein levels were both upregulated in ovarian cancer tissues. High RSPO3 expression was correlated with lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and advanced tumor stage. Survival analysis showed that RSPO3 is an independent prognostic marker in ovarian cancer. Moreover, in vitro RSPO3 knockdown significantly inhibited the invasion ability of ovarian cancer cells, while overexpression significantly promoted it. Using transcriptome sequencing and pathway validation experiments, we demonstrated for the first time that RSPO3 promotes ovarian cancer invasiveness through activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway and modulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), while the common Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was not involved.

Conclusions

RSPO3 plays a definite oncogenic role and promotes tumor aggressiveness in ovarian cancer, which may serve as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for this disease.

The Impact of Cand1 in Prostate Cancer

Evidence has accumulated asserting the importance of cullin-RING (really interesting new gene) ubiquitin ligases (CRLs) and their regulator Cullin-associated neural-precursor-cell-expressed developmentally down-regulated 8 (NEDD8) dissociated protein 1 (Cand1) in various cancer entities. However, the role of Cand1 in prostate cancer (PCa) has not been intensively investigated so far. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to assess the relevance of Cand1 in the clinical and preclinical setting. Immunohistochemical analyses of radical prostatectomy specimens of PCa patients showed that Cand1 protein levels are elevated in PCa compared to benign areas. In addition, high Cand1 levels were associated with higher Gleason Scores, as well as higher tumor recurrence and decreased overall survival. In line with clinical findings, in vitro experiments in different PCa cell lines revealed that knockdown of Cand1 reduced cell viability and proliferation and increased apoptosis, therefore underlining its role in tumor progression. We also found that the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 is significantly upregulated upon downregulation of Cand1. Using bioinformatic tools, we detected genes encoding for proteins linked to mRNA turnover, protein polyubiquitination, and proteasomal degradation to be significantly upregulated in Cand1^high tumors. Next generation sequencing of PCa cell lines resistant to the anti-androgen enzalutamide revealed that Cand1 is mutated in enzalutamide-resistant cells, however, with little functional and clinically relevant impact in the process of resistance development. To summarize the present study, we found that high Cand1 levels correlate with PCa aggressiveness.

R-spondin3 promotes the tumor growth of choriocarcinoma JEG-3 cells

R-spondin3 (RSPO3), an activator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, plays a key role in tumorigenesis of various cancers, but its role in choriocarcinoma remains unknown. To investigate the effect of RSPO3 on the tumor growth of choriocarcinoma JEG-3 cells, the expression of RSPO3 in human term placenta was detected, and a stable RSPO3-overexpressing JEG-3 cell line was established via lentivirus-mediated transduction. The expression of biomarkers involved in tumorigenicity was detected in the RSPO3-overexpressing JEG-3 cells, and cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis were investigated. Moreover, soft agar clonogenic assays and xenograft tumorigenicity assays were performed to assess the effect of RSPO3 on tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that RSPO3 was widely expressed in human term placenta and overexpression of RSPO3 promoted the proliferation and inhibited the migration, invasion, and apoptosis of the JEG-3 cells. Meanwhile, RSPO3 overexpression promoted tumor growth both in vivo and in vitro. Further investigation showed that the phosphorylation levels of Akt, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and ERK as well the expression of β-catenin and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were increased in the RSPO3-overexpressing JEG-3 cells and tumor xenograft. Taken together, these data indicate that RSPO3 promotes the tumor growth of choriocarcinoma via Akt/PI3K/ERK signaling, which supports RSPO3 as an oncogenic driver promoting the progression of choriocarcinoma.

Establishment of xenografts of urological cancers on chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) to study metastasis

Cancer of the urological system commonly occurs in the kidney, bladder, and prostate gland. The clear cell subtype of renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) constitutes the great majority of kidney cancer. Metastatic ccRCC portends a very poor outcome with no effective treatment available. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in males in the US. Despite recent advances in selective kinase inhibitors and immunotherapies, the rate of developing new treatment from bench to bedside is slow. A time-consuming step is at the animal drug testing stage, in which the mouse model is the gold standard. In the pursuit to streamline the in vivo cancer biology research and drug development, we explored the feasibility of the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model to establish xenografts. The CAM model greatly shortens the time of tumor growth and lowers the cost comparing to immunocompromised mice. We generated CAM xenografts from ccRCC, bladder and prostate cancer, with established cancer cell lines and freshly isolated patient-derived tissues, either as primary tumor cells or small pieces of tumors. The successful CAM engraftment rate from the different tumor sources is 70% or above. Using our previously established metastatic ccRCC mouse model, we showed that the CAM xenograft maintains the same tumor growth pattern and metastatic behavior as observed in mice. Taken together, CAM can serve as a valuable platform to establish new patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) to study tumor biology, thus accelerating the development of individualized treatment to halt the deadly metastatic stage of cancer.