Transwell System

The Transwell system is a laboratory assay that separates cells or tissue compartments with a porous membrane, enabling controlled study of cell migration, barrier function, and molecular transport. Cells are placed in an upper chamber, while media, chemoattractants, or target cells occupy the lower chamber; depending on pore size and experimental conditions, cells can migrate through the membrane or substances can cross between compartments. In neuroscience, Transwell assays model processes such as neuronal and glial migration, blood-brain barrier permeability, and neuroinflammatory signaling. These experiments provide quantitative measures of cellular movement and barrier integrity, supporting research into nervous system development, disease mechanisms, and therapeutic responses.

Transwell System - Related Videos

Education

JoVE Science Education - Advanced Biology

The Transwell Migration Assay

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2023

Cells migration in response to chemical cues is crucial to development, immunity and disease states such as cancer. To quantify cell migration, a simple assay was developed in 1961 by Dr. Stephen Boyden, which is now known as the transwell migration assay or Boyden chamber assay. This set-up consists an insert which separates the wells of a multiwell plate into top and bottom compartments. Cells whose migration is to be studied are seeded into the top compartment and the chemoattractant...

Research

JoVE EoE - Bacterial Pathogenesis and Host Interactions

A Transwell Tissue Model for Studying Interactions Between Human Oral Biofilms and Epithelium

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2026

Source: Alshehri, M. et. al., Organotypic Tissue Model Systems for Investigating Host-Pathogen Interactions In Vitro. J. Vis. Exp. (2025)This video demonstrates a co-culture model using multi-species oral biofilms and human oral epithelium. It highlights epithelial immune activation and enables the downstream analysis of host-pathogen interaction.

Fluorescence Based Transwell Macrophage Attraction Assay: An In Vitro Method to Study Tumor-Macrophage Interaction Through Chemical-Induced Chemotaxis

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2023

In this video, we study tumor-macrophage interaction using fluorescence-based transwell macrophage interaction assay. The assay involves the analysis of the migration of macrophages through chemical-induced chemotaxis.

Three-dimensional Cell Culture Model for Measuring the Effects of Interstitial Fluid Flow on Tumor Cell Invasion

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Cited by 13 •

2012

Interstitial fluid flow is elevated in solid tumors and can modulate tumor cell invasion. Here we describe a technique to apply interstitial fluid flow to cells embedded in a matrix and then measure its effects on cell invasion. This technique can be easily adapted to study other systems.

Establishing Villous and Decidual Organ Cultures as Ex Vivo Models of Human Maternal-Fetal Interface

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2025

This video demonstrates the establishment of primary human placental villous and decidual organ cultures in ex vivo conditions. These models are well-suited for studying pathogenesis at the human maternal-fetal interface.

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