In Vitro Metastasis Assay
In Vitro Metastasis Assay - Related Videos
08:28
Experimental Metastasis Assay
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Cited by 28 •
2010
This article describes the procedures of an experimental metastasis assay that is used to determine the metastatic potential of human cancer cell lines.
08:54
In vitro Mesothelial Clearance Assay that Models the Early Steps of Ovarian Cancer Metastasis
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Cited by 47 •
2012
The mesothelial clearance assay described here takes advantage of fluorescently labeled cells and time-lapse video microscopy to visualize and quantitatively measure the interactions of ovarian cancer multicellular spheroids and mesothelial cell monolayers. This assay models the early steps of ovarian cancer metastasis.
09:55
In vitro Cell Migration and Invasion Assays
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Cited by 627 •
2014
Commonly used, highly accessible methods for examining cell migration and invasion in vitro are described. The first method is the cell wound closure assay that measures cell motility. The second method is the transwell migration and invasion assay that assesses the chemotactic and invasive capacity of cells.
11:43
Advanced Animal Model of Colorectal Metastasis in Liver: Imaging Techniques and Properties of Metastatic Clones
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Cited by 6 •
2016
The ability of metastatic clones to colonize distant sites depends on their proliferation capacity and/or their ability to survive in the host microenvironment without significant proliferation. Here, we present an animal model that allows quantitative visualization of both types of liver colonization by metastatic clones.
07:53
An In vitro FluoroBlok Tumor Invasion Assay
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Cited by 23 •
2009
This video demonstrates how to measure cell invasion through cell culture inserts using a fluorescence-based methodology.
FAQs
A chemoattractant creates a directional cue that encourages tumor cells to move toward a defined region of the assay. In a porous-membrane setup, the number of cells responding to this cue provides a quantitative readout of motility. Comparing conditions can reveal whether a genetic change, signaling pathway, drug, or microenvironmental factor alters directional movement.
Transwell migration assays emphasize movement through a porous membrane, whereas Matrigel invasion assays add an extracellular-matrix barrier that more directly tests the ability to move through tissue-like material. Wound-healing assays evaluate how cells close an open space over time. These formats therefore examine related but distinct aspects of metastatic behavior.
An extracellular-matrix barrier adds a physical and tissue-like constraint that cells must traverse, distinguishing simple motility from movement associated with invasion. This comparison can show whether a treatment or genetic alteration affects only migration or also the capacity to cross a matrix barrier. The distinction helps refine conclusions about metastatic potential in cancer research.
Results may vary when researchers alter tumor-cell genetics, signaling pathways, drug exposure, or microenvironmental conditions. Each factor can influence how readily cells migrate or invade under the assay’s controlled conditions. Examining these variables separately helps connect a measured change in cell movement with a possible mechanism rather than treating metastatic behavior as a single fixed property.
A typical setup places tumor cells in relation to a porous membrane or extracellular-matrix material and establishes a chemoattractant-directed movement condition when appropriate. Researchers then quantify the cells’ migration or invasion under the selected format. The workflow can be adapted to compare untreated and experimentally modified cells, drugs, signaling conditions, or microenvironmental factors.
The method allows researchers to compare cell motility or invasion in the presence and absence of a candidate drug under controlled laboratory conditions. A reduction in movement through a membrane or matrix can indicate an effect on metastatic behavior. Such findings support early, mechanism-based screening before broader evidence is considered.
These assays provide quantitative evidence about cellular motility and invasive capacity, while comparisons across experimental conditions can identify effects linked to genes, signaling pathways, drugs, or microenvironmental factors. The results help researchers evaluate mechanisms associated with metastatic spread and prioritize hypotheses for further investigation in cancer research.
The assay uses a simplified laboratory system, so it can isolate selected aspects of migration, invasion, and barrier interaction under controlled conditions. That control supports mechanistic studies and early therapeutic evaluation, but the model does not replace animal models or clinical evidence. Researchers should therefore treat its outcomes as complementary evidence when assessing metastatic potential.