Experimental metastasis assays in the chick embryo

Experimental metastasis assays are used to measure the ability of cancer cells to grow in secondary organs following injection of the cells into the circulation of an experimental animal. The chicken embryo provides an alternative to the more commonly used assays in mice. Details of the experimental metastasis assay in chick embryo are provided, including protocols for maintenance of fertilized chicken eggs, injection of cells into the circulation of 11-day-old chick embryos, recovery and quantification of cancer cells from chick liver using the ouabain plating assay, labeling of cells with fluorescent nanospheres, and monitoring of individual steps in the metastatic process in the chick chorioallantoic membrane using intravital videomicroscopy. These assays provide a cost-effective, readily accessible, and rapid approach for studying the process of cancer metastasis.