Organotypic Collagen Assay
Organotypic Collagen Assay - Related Videos
10:45
Organotypic Collagen I Assay: A Malleable Platform to Assess Cell Behaviour in a 3-Dimensional Context
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Cited by 105 •
2011
A method is described for the preparation of a 3-dimensional matrix consisting of collagen type I and primary human fibroblasts. This organotypic gel serves as a useful substrate to assess invasive cell migration because it mimics basic features of tissue stroma and is amenable to many forms of microscopy.
10:41
An Organotypic Slice Assay for High-Resolution Time-Lapse Imaging of Neuronal Migration in the Postnatal Brain
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Cited by 6 •
2010
This protocol describes an organotypic slice assay optimized for the postnatal brain and high-resolution time-lapse imaging of neuroblast migration in the rostral migratory stream.
07:25
Collagen Hydrogels
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2023
Collagen is another widely used biomaterial that has found popularity in commercial applications, such as photography. Collagen has more recently been used in tissue engineering applications, by creating hydrogels that provide structure to engineered tissue. This video introduces collagen as a biomaterial, demonstrates how it is harvested from porcine skin, and shows how the material is used to create a hydrogel for tissue engineering applications. Finally, several applications of the material...
07:26
Generation of Organotypic Raft Cultures from Primary Human Keratinocytes
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Cited by 47 •
2012
An in vitro method to mimic in vivo epithelial differentiation is described. Many viruses target epithelial cells as part of their viral life cycle, and this method provides a means of examining virus:host interactions that more closely resembles that which occurs in vivo. This technique can be used with primary keratinocytes, established cell lines, as well as normal or diseased biopsy tissue.
08:24
Dissection and Culture of Mouse Dopaminergic and Striatal Explants in Three-Dimensional Collagen Matrix Assays
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Cited by 13 •
2012
Explants from the midbrain dopamine system and striatum are used in a collagen matrix assay for the in vitro analysis of mesostriatal and striatonigral pathway development. In this assay axonal outgrowth and guidance can be manipulated and quantified. It can also be modified for assessing other regions or molecular cues.
FAQs
Cells can attach to collagen fibers and exert traction forces that pull on the surrounding matrix. This activity may contract the gel, alter its local organization, or support migration through the three-dimensional environment. Measuring these behaviors helps bioengineers examine how cellular force production and matrix remodeling contribute to tissue structure and repair.
The collagen matrix provides a tunable extracellular environment, so changes in its composition or mechanical properties can alter how cells attach, migrate, contract the matrix, or organize into tissue-like structures. This control allows researchers to separate effects of the cells from effects of their surrounding material, which is important when evaluating cell–matrix interactions and engineered biomaterials.
A three-dimensional collagen environment preserves spatial relationships between cells and their surrounding matrix, allowing researchers to observe behaviors that depend on tissue-like structure. These include matrix contraction, movement through the matrix, and multicellular organization. Comparing such outcomes with two-dimensional cultures can clarify how extracellular architecture influences morphogenesis, invasion, and cellular remodeling.
The assay begins by placing living cells, tissues, or organ fragments within a collagen matrix and maintaining them under controlled culture conditions. Researchers then examine attachment, matrix remodeling, contraction, migration, or tissue-like organization as the culture develops. The selected biological material and measured behavior depend on whether the experiment targets morphogenesis, repair, invasion, fibrosis, or material performance.
This model supports investigations of tissue morphogenesis, wound repair, tumor invasion, fibrosis, and broader cell–matrix interactions. Each application focuses on how living cells or tissue fragments respond to a structured extracellular environment, including their ability to reorganize collagen and generate tissue-like patterns. The same platform therefore connects cellular behavior with changes in tissue architecture.
Bioengineers can use the assay to test how cells interact with collagen and to evaluate materials through controlled changes in matrix composition and mechanical properties. Observing contraction, remodeling, migration, or organization provides functional information about the cellular response to an engineered environment. These outcomes help relate material design to tissue formation and cellular behavior.