Drug testing with angiogenesis models

The possibility to treat cancers and several angiogenesis- dependent diseases with non-toxic, antiangiogenic agents has revolutionized the therapeutic capabilities in the fields of oncology and ophthalmology, whereas therapeutic angiogenesis, governed by angiogenesis stimulators, is about to enter clinical medicine.

To describe and critically evaluate the advantages and limitations of the most important and most frequently used preclinical in vivo angiogenesis assays as well as to appraise the preclinical models that are most widely used for studying antiangiogenic effects in tumors.

Up-to-date literature survey.

Only few angiogenesis and tumor models appear to meet realistic standards fully in terms of biological relevance. Improvement of the biological pertinence and sensitivity of such models would apparently facilitate the translatability of preclinical data into clinical practice.