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The CytoSelect™ assays from Cell Biolabs are an essential tool for the study of cell migration and invasion.
How CytoSelect works
The assay consists of a cylindrical cell culture insert which nests inside a well of a cell culture plate. This insert contains a polycarbonate membrane at the bottom which has a defined pore size. Cells are seeded in at the top of the insert in serum-free media, while serum of similar chemoattractants are placed in the well below. Migratory cells will move through the pores, toward the chemoattractant below and can be stained or quantified using a plate reader. Invasive cells may be similarly measured by the placement of a coating of extracellular matrix proteins on top of the membrane.
The CytoSelect Boyden Chamber assays can be used to measure cell invasion, as well as various types of cell migration:
| Assay type | Definition | Cell types | Pore size | Insert coating | Catalogue number(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemotaxis | Migration of cells toward a chemoattractant (chemical signal) in a cell's surrounding environment | Leukocytes Neutrophils |
3 µm | None | CBA-103 CBA-104 |
| Lymphocytes Macrophages Monocyte |
5 µm | None | CBA-102 CBA-105 |
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| Endothelial cells Epithelial cells Fibroblasts Tumour cells |
8 µm | None | CBA-100 CBA-106 |
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| Astrocytes Slow-moving cells |
12 µm | None | CBA-107 | ||
| Haptotaxis | Migration of cells along a gradient of cellular adhesion sites or extracellular matrix-bound chemoattractants | Endothelial cells Epithelial cells Fibroblasts |
8 µm | Collagen I (bottom) | CBA-100-COL |
| Fibronectin (bottom) | CBA-100-FN | ||||
| Transmigration | Migration of cells through the vascular endothelium toward a chemoattractant | Leukocytes | 3 µm | None | CBA-212 |
| Tumour Cells | 8 µm | None | CBA-216 | ||
| Invasion | Movement of cells through the 3D extracellular matrix into neighbouring tissues; includes ECM degradation and proteolysis | Endothelial cells Epithelial cells Fibroblasts Tumour cells |
8 µm | ECM Matrix (top) | CBA-110 CBA-112 |
| Collagen I (top) | CBA-111-COL CBA-112-COL |
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| Laminin I (top) | CBA-110-LN CBA-112-LN |
