Cell Invasion and Migration Assay
The invasive and migratory capacities of tumor cells are key factors in metastasis and malignant progression. Accurately assessing cell movement behaviors is essential for uncovering cancer metastasis mechanisms, screening anti-metastatic drugs, and studying signaling pathways. Creative Diagnostics offers comprehensive, reliable in vitro assays using both Transwell chambers and wound-healing (scratch) assays.
Our Services
We provide two primary assay formats:
- Transwell Assay
- Migration Assay: Uses an uncoated upper chamber and porous membrane to evaluate a cell's ability to migrate through the pores.
- Invasion Assay: The upper chamber membrane is coated with Matrigel or collagen to mimic the basement membrane, measuring cells' ability to invade and traverse the matrix.
| Assay Type | Purpose | Materials | Procedure |
| Migration | Assess cells' ability to migrate through an uncoated membrane | Transwell chamber (no matrix), culture medium, staining reagents | 1. Seed cells in the upper chamber 2. Incubate for specified time 3. Fix and stain migrated cells 4. Count or image under microscope |
| Invasion | Measure cells' ability to invade through a matrix layer | Transwell chamber (matrix-coated), culture medium, staining reagents | 1. Coat membrane with matrix and solidify 2. Seed cells in the upper chamber 3. Incubate for specified time 4. Fix and stain invaded cells 5. Count or image under microscope |
- Wound-Healing (Scratch) Assay
A uniform "wound" is created in a cell monolayer, and images are taken over time to track wound closure and infer migration speed. Because cell proliferation can contribute to closure, this method is best suited for rapid, migration-focused screening.
| Assay Type | Purpose | Materials | Procedure |
| Scratch Assay | Measure wound closure rate and cell migration traits | Culture dish, serum-free medium, scraping tool, microscope | 1. Grow cells to a confluent monolayer 2. Create a uniform scratch 3. Add treatment and capture initial image 4. Image the wound at intervals 5. Calculate migration distance or closure rate |
Workflow
Discuss cell line, experimental goals, treatments, and control groups.
Define Transwell or scratch-assay parameters and develop a detailed workflow.
- Transwell: cell seeding, treatment, incubation, and staining or immunofluorescence
- Scratch: monolayer preparation, uniform scratch, imaging over time
Capture images and use software to quantify migration distance, invaded cell counts, or wound-closure rates.
Deliver charts and written interpretation, plus recommendations for next steps.
Notes
- Cell Condition: Passage number and confluency significantly affect results; ensure cells are in log-phase growth.
- Matrix & Timing: Optimize matrix concentration and incubation duration per cell line.
- Scratch Consistency: Maintain uniform wound width and consistent imaging positions to minimize variability.
- Proliferation Control: To isolate migration effects, consider pairing with proliferation assays or using proliferation inhibitors.
We look forward to collaborating with you to unravel the mechanisms of cell movement and support your tumor metastasis research and anti-metastatic drug development!
