What is a Cell Migration Assay?

Cellular migration refers to the movement of cells from one location to another, usually in response to some chemical or mechanical signal. It is fundamental to an extremely wide range of organic processes, from the developmental (i.e. embryogenesis) to ongoing biological maintenance (i.e. tissue repair). Using a cell migration assay, it is possible to measure the net migration and rate of migration for cellular populations in vitro and thus gain an understanding of various bioorganic mechanisms.

Cell Invasion Assays for Cancer Research

Cell invasion across the basement membrane is an important step in cancer metastasis.  In this blog, we discuss cell invasion assays and their application for cancer research.  Metastasis occurs when cancer cells pass through the basement membrane of the organ where they originated, and subsequently spread into different organs of the body, where they form secondary tumors [1].  

Comparison of the Oris Cell Migration Assay to the Scratch Assay

Cell migration is integral to many physiological processes, including embryonic development, tissue regeneration, and wound healing.  In addition, cell migration is involved in tumor metastasis and atherosclerosis. One assay commonly used to study cell migration in vitro is the scratch assay.  The scratch assay is performed by creating a cell-free gap, or “scratch”, on a confluent cell monolayer upon which cells at the edge of the opening move inward to close the scratch.  Cell migration can be assessed by comparing images captured at the onset of the scratch creation and at user-defined intervals during scratch closure.  The scratch assay is straightforward to perform and is inexpensive.  However, methods for creating the scratch vary from lab to lab and results can be highly variable.  Furthermore, the process of scratch formation has been shown to damage the underlying extracellular matrix (ECM).

Do surface coatings influence cell migration?

Experiments show that surface coatings play an important role in cell movement

When performing cell migration experiments, a perennial question is: what surface coatings should be used to culture a particular cell type? Scientists working in Cancer Research, Wound Healing, or Drug Discovery utilize cell cultures to make important experiments and advance our understanding of biological mechanisms.  In particular, assays for cell migration enable characterization of conditions and substances that influence movement of cells.  For example, scientists using the OrisTM Cell Migration Assays successfully identified proteins, mRNA and antioxidants that inhibit migration of tumor cells.