Implementing Chicken Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) Assays for Validating Biomaterials in Tissue Engineering: Rationale and Methods.

Abstract

Tissue engineering is a promising approach for generating or repairing living tissues. The development of innovative biomaterials for tissue engineering has the potential to address the unmet clinical needs in certain applications. However, before these biomaterials can be used in clinical settings, they must undergo preclinical testing to ensure safety and performance. The chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay is a preferred screening tool for studying biocompatibility, angiogenesis, and inflammation induced by biomaterials owing to ethical and economic considerations. This CAM-based platform increased the throughput of biomaterial testing for tissue engineering before in vivo testing. In this paper, we discuss the advantages of the CAM model. We also provided a step-by-step guide for implementing the CAM model in a research laboratory, along with tips and tricks for successfully running CAM assays. Finally, we present examples of biomaterials screened using CAM assays. CAM assay is a powerful in vivo model for assessing the angiogenic potential of tissue-engineered scaffolds. This guide provides a framework for conducting the assay, but specific experimental conditions should be optimized based on the scaffold material and the research question.