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In-vivo work with the CAM model

A CAM assay (Chorioallantoic membrane assay) uses a fertilised chicken egg as an in-vivo model. This is becoming a popular test for as long as the chicken egg does not reach 14 days in its development it is easier (but not easy) to get a license. The scaffold is implanted on the Chorioallantoic membrane and is left for 7 days. The angiogenic properties of the scaffold can be observed the the quantity of blood vessels formed in its vicinity.


All the CAM studies were performed by Giulia Djaha.

For a control we used microspheres without any cells. We were surprised when examining these microspheres as they had been fully infiltrated by the chicks cells. This had been accomplished under 7 days which is much faster than the ingrowth of cells we observed in in-vitro studies.

When microspheres containing human cells were injected into the CAM assay, high levels of blood vessels were found to form (see image left). Interestingly solid microspheres (non-porous) did not induce such an angiogenic response.

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