Main description:

Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis have become attractive targets for drug therapy because of their key roles in a broad spectrum of pathological disease states ranging from macular degeneration to tumor growth and metastasis. A substantial increase in the research effort over the past decade has deepened our understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, promoting the development of promising therapeutics for the clinical management of vascular-related diseases. These extraordinary advancements have been built upon a vast array of diverse analytical techniques developed globally throughout the field. Over the years, these methods have evolved to suit the specific needs of different researchers and experimental scenarios, resulting in a myriad of technical variants of basic assay approaches.

"The Textbook of Angiogenesis and Lymphangiogenesis: Methods and Applications" is an up-to-date comprehensive textbook on angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis techniques and applications. This volume is designed to embody the collective works of experts in the clinical as well as the basic research arenas who have significantly contributed to the development and application of techniques in all areas of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. Each chapter introduces and discusses one or a group of closely related techniques and convey step-by-step protocol information and detailed technical guidance to the reader. Emphasis has been placed on explanatory illustrations, critical technical steps as well as divulging information on the benefits and caveats of specific practices related to the methods discussed. This manual is intended to serve as a written guide for both newcomers and established professionals in the field.

Contents:

Table of contents

1. The in vitro endothelial cell tube formation assay in 3D culture on gelled basement membrane extract

2. Using Polymers to Build Three Dimensional Coculture Systems for Angiogenesis

3. Electron microscopy in angiogenesis research

4. Methods to Assess Vascular Permeability During Angiogenic Processes

5. Quantitative Methods To Study Adipose Angiogenesis

6. Methodologic approaches to investigate vascular tube morphogenesis and maturation events in 3D extracellular matrices in vitro and in vivo

7. Preparation and analysis of aortic ring cultures for the study of angiogenesis ex vivo

8. The chick embryo aortic arch assay

9. The P-Sp culture system

10. Ex vivo retinal explant cultures to study angiogenic responses

11. The mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR)

12. Quantitative analysis of angiogenesis in the allantois explant model

13. The murine hindbrain as a model to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms of angiogenesis in intact tissues.

14. Visualization and quantification of de novo angiogenesis in ex ovo chicken embryos

15. Developing an ex vivo model of ischemia using early chick-embryo: a model to study ischemia related angiogenesis

16. The zebrafish/tumor xenograft angiogenesis assay

17. Quantitative study of in vivo angiogenesis and vasculogenesis using Matrigel-based assays

18. Corneal pocket assay

19. Directed In Vivo Angiogenesis Assay (DIVAA) for the Screening of Angiogenesis Modulators

20. Quantum Dots for Imaging of Angiogenesis

21. Intravital imaging of tumor-initiated angiogenesis using a dorsal skin chamber

22. Side-view endomicroscopy for high-resolution in vivo imaging of the gastrointestinal tract

23. Ex vivo and in vivo assessments of angiogenesis, blood flow and vasoactive capability

24. Skin flap models for assessment of angiogenesis

25. Laser scanning methodologies for measuring RBC velocity, flux, hematocrit and shear rate in vascular networks