title: In vitro cell migration and invasion assays.
abstract: Determining the migratory and invasive capacity of tumor and stromal cells and clarifying the underlying mechanisms is most relevant for novel strategies in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, drug development and treatment. Here we shortly summarize the different modes of cell travelling and review in vitro methods, which can be used to evaluate migration and invasion. We provide a concise summary of established migration/invasion assays described in the literature, list advantages, limitations and drawbacks, give a tabular overview for convenience and depict the basic principles of the assays graphically. In many cases particular research problems and specific cell types do not leave a choice for a broad variety of usable assays. However, for most standard applications using adherent cells, based on our experience we suggest to use exclusion zone assays to evaluate migration/invasion. We substantiate our choice by demonstrating that the advantages outbalance the drawbacks e.g. the simple setup, the easy readout, the kinetic analysis, the evaluation of cell morphology and the feasibility to perform the assay with standard laboratory equipment. Finally, innovative 3D migration and invasion models including heterotypic cell interactions are discussed. These methods recapitulate the in vivo situation most closely. Results obtained with these assays have already shed new light on cancer cell spreading and potentially will uncover unknown mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Währinger Strasse 10, Austria.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Währinger Strasse 10, Austria.
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walzl
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Währinger Strasse 10, Austria.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Unger
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Währinger Strasse 10, Austria.
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosner
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Währinger Gürtel, Austria.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Krupitza
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Währinger Strasse 10, Austria.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hengstschläger
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Währinger Strasse 10, Austria. Electronic address: helmut.dolznig@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dolznig
mesh_terms: D054443:Cell Migration Assays; D054441:Cell Migration Assays, Leukocyte; D002465:Cell Movement; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular