First steps towards a facile, large animal model of human ovarian cancer for testing novel intraperitoneal targeted therapies

This project, "First Steps Towards a Facile, Large Animal Model of Human Ovarian Cancer for Testing Novel Intraperitoneal Targeted Therapies," is a pilot project supported through the Henry Ford + MSU Cancer Seed Funding Program and is one of 20 pilot grants awarded by the partnership. T

This project represents an early-stage, collaborative effort to bridge preclinical modeling and therapeutic testing by establishing a large animal model that more closely mirrors human ovarian cancer biology and treatment environments than small-animal systems. Positioned within a broader institutional initiative to promote cross-institutional research and to address critical gaps in cancer therapy development, the work aims to provide a platform for evaluating intraperitoneal targeted therapies-treatments delivered directly into the peritoneal cavity that may offer advantages for ovarian cancer localized within the abdominal cavity. The pilot grant support is intended to enable initial feasibility studies, preliminary model development, and early validation steps that can justify and inform future, larger-scale funding and translational studies. As part of the Henry Ford + MSU collaboration, the project contributes to the partnership's mission of fostering innovative cancer research and advancing pathways toward clinical trials. The inclusion of this project among awardees underscores institutional recognition of the need for improved preclinical models to test therapeutic strategies that could proceed to clinical investigation. The award complements the program's broader emphasis on new investigators and projects addressing disparities, translational potential, and novel technologies.

By leveraging expertise from both Henry Ford Health and Michigan State University, the investigators are positioned to combine clinical insight and research infrastructure to take these "first steps'' toward a model that could be used to assess safety, delivery, and preliminary efficacy of intraperitoneal targeted therapies in a setting with greater physiological relevance. The pilot nature of the project signals that outcomes are intended to inform next-phase work, including refinement of the model, more extensive therapeutic testing, and pursuit of integration grants or external funding. Overall, this pilot project represents an initial collaborative investment in model development aimed at accelerating the preclinical evaluation pipeline for ovarian cancer therapies and supporting future translational progress toward improved patient-centered treatment options.