A method induces cancer, such as ovarian cancer, in primates for testing of therapeutic treatments and preclinical research and development. A nanoparticle delivers plasmid DNA encoding oncogenes and siRNAs for tumor suppressor genes. For example, a biocompatible polymer, chitosan, is complexed with three plasmids including one that carries the cDNA encoding RAS oncogene and two plasmids encoding siRNAs for two tumor supressor genes p53 and Rb. Laproscopic delivery of these nanoparticles to the ovaries of non-human primates causes ovarian carcinoma, which is detected one month after delivery of the nanoparticles.
