A Critical Analysis of the Available In Vitro and Ex Vivo Methods to Study Retinal Angiogenesis

Table 2

Advantages and disadvantages of different migration assays.

	Boyden chamber assay	Wound-healing assay
Advantages	High sensitivity	Allows cell visualization (movement and morphology)
	Compatible with adherent and nonadherent cells	Allows endpoint and kinetic assays
	Allows chemotaxis assays
Disadvantages	Multistep assay	Variability in scratches dimension
	Chemotactic assay is not linear	Difficult to generate the same confluence degree between groups
	Difficult to maintain transmembrane gradients for prolonged periods	Scratches can damage cells
	Difficult to enumerate cells when their distribution and staining are uneven	Not suitable for chemotaxis
		Not suitable for nonadherent cells