. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Nov 1.

Published in final edited form as: Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2014 May 28;239(11):1476–1488. doi: 10.1177/1535370214529386

Table 2.

In vivo angiogenesis assays

Assay	Description	Uses	Cited
Chorioallantoic Membrane Assay (CAM)	Test substances (e.g., xenograft material, cell, or tissue) are applied on or within the CAM, in order to continuously monitor local angiogenesis.	Effect of test substances on angiogenesis.	Auerbach et al. (6), Staton et al. (7), Staton et al. (8), Ribatti et al. (49)
Chorioallantoic Membrane Assay (CAM)		Interaction between CAM vasculature and the test substance.
In vivo Matrix Invasion Assay	Test substances (e.g., xenograft material, tissue, cell, cytokine, or small molecule) are loaded into Matrigel or matrix containing polymer scaffold. The Matrigel or polymer scaffold is loaded subcutaneously. Explanted Matrigel plugs or polymer scaffolds are evaluated for invasion of angiogenic sprouts post hoc.	Effect of test substances on angiogenesis.	Auerbach et al. (6), Staton et al. (7), Staton et al. (8), Akhtar et al. (60)
In vivo Matrix Invasion Assay		Molecular mechanisms of angiogenic sprouting, vessel formation, regression, and stabilization.
Retinopathy of Prematurity Model	Retinopathy is induced in neonatal mammals by exposure to hyperoxia followed by normoxia. Explanted retinas are evaluated for angiogenesis post hoc.	Effect of test substances on angiogenesis in retinopathy.	Yanni and Penn (87)
Retinopathy of Prematurity Model		Molecular mechanisms of angiogenic sprouting, vessel formation, regression, and stabilization in retinopathy.
Fluorescent Zebrafish Assay	Live transgenic fluorescent embryo is exposed to small molecule angiogenic inhibitors and extent of angiogenesis is measured via fluorescence confocal imaging.	Effect of test substances on angiogenesis.	Weinstein et al. (58), Serbedzija et al. (88)
Fluorescent Zebrafish Assay		Molecular mechanisms of angiogenic sprouting, vessel formation, regression, and stabilization.	Weinstein et al. (58), Serbedzija et al. (88)
Dorsal Air Sac Model and Chamber Assay	A chamber is implanted across dorsal skin of the mouse, or (in some chamber assays) across thin layers of tissue (e.g., the ear or mouse femur). Test substances are introduced in the chamber. Local angiogenesis is measured post hoc (dorsal air sac model) and throughout the experiment (chamber assay).	Effect of test substances on angiogenesis.	Staton et al. (8), Yonezawa et al. (61)
Dorsal Air Sac Model and Chamber Assay		Molecular mechanisms of angiogenic sprouting, vessel formation, regression, and stabilization.	Staton et al. (8), Yonezawa et al. (61)
Tumor Mouse Model	Fluorescent tumor cells are implanted subcutaneously in nude mice. Other test substances are administered as well.	Molecular mechanisms of tumor angiogenic sprouting, vessel formation, regression, and stabilization.	Staton et al. (8), Yang et al. (89), Amoh et al. (90)
Tumor Mouse Model	Vascularization and growth of the tumor are monitored throughout the experiment, as well as occurrence of metastases.	Tumor-host interaction.	Staton et al. (8), Yang et al. (89), Amoh et al. (90)