Studying ovarian cancer without animals | Replacing Animal Research

The Problem

Ovarian cancer is a major health challenge, affecting around 7,500 women in the UK each year. Despite improvements in treatment, survival rates remain low. Only four in ten women survive beyond five years.

This is largely due to late diagnosis and the cancer’s tendency to return after initial treatment. Recurrent disease often becomes resistant to drugs, leading to severe side effects and a poor quality of life.

To develop new, and better, treatments scientists need accurate models of ovarian cancer. Unfortunately, much cancer research still relies on animal ‘models’. This raises ethical concerns and makes improving early diagnosis difficult as these models often mimic aggressive late-stage cancer.

One promising alternative to animals is spheroids, which are 3D models of cell cultures. They offer us a better representation of the human body.

There’s a catch though.

While these methods don’t directly use animals, they can still rely on animal-derived ingredients.

Two of the most commonly used substances in this type of research are Matrigel and Foetal Calf Serum:

Matrigel is produced from tumours grown in young mice. Dr Javid estimates for every 10ml of Matrigel used in the lab, 3 young mice are used.

Foetal Calf Serum, or Foetal Bovine Serum, is taken from calf foetuses after their mothers have been slaughtered.

These materials have several issues, both ethical and scientific. They perpetuate animal use, have huge animal welfare concerns, and limit the experiments’ ability to mimic human tumours.

The Project

Dr Javid and her team are working to create a completely animal-free 3D model of ovarian cancer.

The project is in its early stages. First, they’ll work on an animal-free 2D version, then progress to the more complex 3D model which can better replicate human tumours. They can then use this to study different types of ovarian cancer cells, including those resistant to chemotherapy.

By testing various drugs, researchers can:

Identify promising treatments.

Predict their potential side effects without using animals.

To verify their results, they’ll compare them against existing human data.

The Potential 

Moving established research methods away from animal-derived products isn’t a straightforward process. But it’s a vital one.

This project will help replace some of the “hidden” animals in science. To ensure a future where no animal suffers for science, animals must be replaced at every stage.

Not only will this project benefit animals, it will allow Dr Javid and her team to build a more human-relevant model of ovarian cancer. This could be life-changing for countless women across the globe.

Dr Javid’s project was originally planned to finish in early 2024. We have now extended the lifetime of her project to ensure the team can work through some technical and logistical challenges. Scientific research can experience unforeseen complications. As funders, changemakers, and advocates for better science, it’s our duty to support our Grant Holders.