title: Imaging cells within 3D cell-derived matrix.
abstract: Much of what is known about the mechanisms regulating cell adhesion and migration come from in vitro studies of cells plated on 2-dimensional (2D) extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. The importance of studying these processes in cells within 3-dimensional (3D) environments is becoming increasingly recognised, as a number of studies have now demonstrated that adhesion formation and migration are markedly different in cells within 3D environments (Cukierman et al. Science 1708-1712, 2001). It is also known that the composition and pliability or density of the ECM are important in regulating cell adhesion and migration (Cukierman et al. Science 1708-1712, 2001). Cell-derived matrices (CDM) are naturally deposited fibrillar ECM from fibroblasts that can be used to study the adhesions and migration of cells in a more physiologically relevant environment.
authors: Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, London, UK.
authors: Samantha J
authors: SJ
authors: King
authors: Maddy
authors: M
authors: Parsons
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D054443:Cell Migration Assays / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D059008:Time-Lapse Imaging / Q000379:methods*