Page 46 - Live-cellanalysis handbook

Live-Cell Analysis Handbook — Third Edition

Kinetic Cell Migration and Invasion Assays

Real-time automated measurements of cell motility

Cell migration and invasion play a role in many normal and approach addresses the inherent shortcomings of traditional
pathological processes including immune responses, embryonic assays that deliver a user-defined time points or a single end-point
development, angiogenesis, regeneration, tumor metastasis, measurement and don’t allow visualization of cells as they move
and wound healing. A wide variety of assays can be used to in response to their environment. The IncuCyte® Scratch Wound
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monitor and analyze cell migration and invasion in vitro, from Assay is a method that utilizes the IncuCyte® WoundMaker tool
very simple assays to very complex. The scratch assay permits to create precise scratches within a cell monolayer, eliminating
velocity measurements of wound closure and is dependent upon a assay variability that is inherent in “home-brew” methods. The
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cell density gradient, whereas methods to study chemical factors IncuCyte® Chemotaxis Assay is a kinetic and visual chemotactic
that regulate migration and invasion of cells typically employ driven method, that alleviates hurdles such as laborious end point
modifications of Boyden chamber assays. Scratch assays are measurements, high cell usage, and non-linear gradient that is
typically performed by manually creating scratches in multiple common in traditional transmembrane assays. These image-based
well plates (e.g., 6-, 12-, 24-or 48-well) and then acquiring detection methods offer simple and reliable assays which deliver
images using a microscope at defined time-points. This approach new biological insights into cell migration and invasion.
leads to variation in scratch uniformity, as well as disrupting the
assay environmental control during image acquisition. Current
chemotaxis assay approaches have inherent drawbacks such as Live-cell imaging and analysis approaches
non-linear gradients, inability to observe cell morphology and
validate cell movement, are technically challenging and have The IncuCyte cell migration and invasion assays enable the
cumbersome quantification steps. In order to drive development of detection and analysis of live-cell movement in 96-well formats.
novel therapeutics, a deeper understanding of these processes is IncuCyte Scratch Wound and ClearView Chemotaxis assays allow
required to gain valuable insights. you to kinetically monitor and analyze migration and invasion with
or without a chemotactic gradient, and associated images allow for
IncuCyte® live-cell migration and invasion assays allow continuous the ability to observe cell morphology.
visualization and analysis of cell motility and kinetics. This

Migration Scratch Invasion
Wound Assays
Cell Density Can my cells move across Can my cells break down a
Dependent a surface in response to matrix and invade in response
(no gradient) cell density changes? to cell density changes?

No matrix Matrix (ECM)

Chemical Can my cells move across Can my cells break down a
Gradient a surface in response to a matrix and invade in response
chemical gradient?
to a chemical gradient?
Chemotaxis
Assays

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