title: In vitro analysis of chemotactic leukocyte migration in 3D environments.
abstract: Cell migration on two-dimensional (2D) substrates follows entirely different rules than cell migration in three-dimensional (3D) environments. This is especially relevant for leukocytes that are able to migrate in the absence of adhesion receptors within the confined geometry of artificial 3D extracellular matrix scaffolds and within the interstitial space in vivo. Here, we describe in detail a simple and economical protocol to visualize dendritic cell migration in 3D collagen scaffolds along chemotactic gradients. This method can be adapted to other cell types and may serve as a physiologically relevant paradigm for the directed locomotion of most amoeboid cells.
authors: Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, Austria. sixt@biochem.mpg.de
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Sixt
authors: Tim
authors: T
authors: Lämmermann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D054441:Cell Migration Assays, Leukocyte / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D005782:Gels; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D059008:Time-Lapse Imaging
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D003094:Collagen