The chick chorioallantoic membrane as a novel in vivo model for the testing of biomaterials

Current in vivo models for testing biomaterials are time and labor intensive as well as expensive. This article describes a new approach for testing biomaterials in vivo using the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of the developing chicken embryo, as an alternative to the traditional mammalian models. Fertilized chicken eggs were incubated for 4 days, at which time a small window was cut in the shell of the egg. After 1 week of incubation, the CAM received several test materials, including the endotoxin LPS, a cotton thread and a Silastic tubing. One day and 1 week later, the tissue response to the test materials was assessed using gross, histological, and scanning electron microscope evaluations. The inflammatory response of the chorioallantoic membrane to biomaterials was fully characterized and found to be similar to that of the mammalian response and was also seen to vary according to test materials. We also found that the structure and geometry of the test materials greatly influenced the incorporation of the samples in the CAM. The similarity of the tissue response of the CAM with the mammalian models, plus the low cost, simplicity, and possibility to continuously visualize the test site through the shell window make this animal model particularly attractive for the rapid in vivo screening of biomaterials. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 62: 273–282, 2002