Abstract
A number of satisfactory methods exist for experimentally estimating the pro- or anti-angiogenic activity of growth factors and pharmaceuticals. We review here a selected group of widely used in vivo and in vitro assays for angiogenesis. The in vivo assays of angiogenesis include the chick chorioallantoic membrane, the zebrafish, tumor xenografts in the mouse and the Matrigel® plug. In vitro assays included here are aortic ring, sprouting and tube formation assays. No method can entirely satisfactorily reproduce human angiogenesis, and thus a risk exists of securely defining pro- or anti-angiogenesis in these models and of subsequent failure to establish clinical effectiveness. On the other hand, most of these assays are readily reproducible, respond to standard pro-angiogenesis factors such as growth factors and angiogenesis inhibitors, and have acceptable cost.
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Mousa, S.A., Davis, P.J. (2013). Angiogenesis Assays: An Appraisal of Current Techniques. In: Mousa, S., Davis, P. (eds) Angiogenesis Modulations in Health and Disease. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6467-5_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6467-5_1
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