Developed as an alternative in ovo toxicity assay to the Draize Rabbit Eye Test. Similar to the HET-CAM, the CAMVA uses the vascularized membrane of fertile chicken eggs to assess a test material's potential to cause vascular changes (hemorraghing, capillary injection, ghost vessels).
CAMVA can be used to investigate the vascular effects such as neovascularization, angiogenesis, and anti-angiogenesis, which are of particular interest to pharmaceutical and cosmetic product research and development.
The CAMVA is similar to the European HET-CAM, where damage to the vascular structure of the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of 10-day-old fertilized chicken eggs is assessed after topical exposure of a test chemical. Vascular responses are observed, scored and used as an endpoint to determine the potential for conjunctival irritancy. CAMVA is also used to investigate vascular effects such as neo-vascularization, angiogenesis, and anti-angiogenesis, which are of particular interest to pharmaceutical and cosmetic product research and development.
MB Research personnel have been involved in the development and marketability of alternative assays since 1988 when, with the help of personnel from Colgate-Palmolive, the CAMVA was developed and validated at MB Research Laboratories. Current CAMVA protocols are based upon methodology described in An Improved CAM Method for Predicting Ocular Irritation (Bagley, 1988).