Vascular development in embryoid bodies: quantification of transgenic intervention and antiangiogenic treatment.

It has become increasingly clear that the investigation of vascular development is best considered in the context of a whole tissue environment since in vivo endothelial cells interact closely with other cell types. Murine embryoid bodies have been used as a model for the early development of a vascular network and are amenable to genetic manipulation and treatment with soluble modulators. However, quantifying morphological changes in these complex three-dimensional structures is challenging. In this paper we describe protocols to culture embryoid bodies on a large scale to study vascular development together with methods to quantify changes seen when antiangiogenic agents or endothelial cell-specific transgenes are introduced.