Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2026

In vitro Cell Migration and Invasion Assays
09:55

In vitro Cell Migration and Invasion Assays

Published on: June 1, 2014

Cell migration and invasion assays.

Karwan A Moutasim1, Maria L Nystrom, Gareth J Thomas

  • 1Cancer Sciences Division, School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|April 26, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Histopathology-inferred spatial transcriptomics characterizes the tumor microenvironment in 1,500 head and neck tumors and predicts clinical outcomes.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Developmental programmes drive cellular plasticity, disease progression and therapy resistance in lung adenocarcinoma.

Molecular oncology·2026
Same author

A <i>CLIP</i> on the Ear: Spitz Melanocytoma Harbouring a <i>CLIP2-BRAF</i> Gene Fusion.

Case reports in dermatological medicine·2026
Same author

Spatial profiling of HPV-stratified head and neck squamous cell carcinoma reveals distinct immune niches and microenvironmental architectures.

Journal of translational medicine·2025
Same author

Single cell and spatial analysis of immune-hot and immune-cold tumours identifies fibroblast subtypes associated with distinct immunological niches and positive immunotherapy response.

Molecular cancer·2025
Same author

Differentiation signals induce APOBEC3A expression via GRHL3 in squamous epithelia and squamous cell carcinoma.

The EMBO journal·2024

This study reviews in vitro assays for tumor cell motility. Organotypic assays offer a more realistic model for 3D tumor invasion compared to simpler monocellular methods.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Tumor cell motility is crucial for cancer metastasis.
  • Traditional in vitro assays like scratch and two-chamber assays simplify complex tumor invasion processes.
  • These simpler models lack the necessary tumor structural architecture and stromal components for accurate study.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate various in vitro assays used for studying tumor cell motility.
  • To highlight the limitations of traditional monocellular assays.
  • To introduce organotypic assays as a more physiologically relevant alternative for studying 3D tumor invasion.

Main Methods:

  • Review of established in vitro assays for tumor cell motility, including scratch and two-chamber assays.

More Related Videos

Moving Upwards: A Simple and Flexible In Vitro Three-dimensional Invasion Assay Protocol
06:14

Moving Upwards: A Simple and Flexible In Vitro Three-dimensional Invasion Assay Protocol

Published on: March 12, 2018

Real-Time Quantitative Measurement of Tumor Cell Migration and Invasion Following Synthetic mRNA Transfection
11:00

Real-Time Quantitative Measurement of Tumor Cell Migration and Invasion Following Synthetic mRNA Transfection

Published on: June 23, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 2, 2026

In vitro Cell Migration and Invasion Assays
09:55

In vitro Cell Migration and Invasion Assays

Published on: June 1, 2014

Moving Upwards: A Simple and Flexible In Vitro Three-dimensional Invasion Assay Protocol
06:14

Moving Upwards: A Simple and Flexible In Vitro Three-dimensional Invasion Assay Protocol

Published on: March 12, 2018

Real-Time Quantitative Measurement of Tumor Cell Migration and Invasion Following Synthetic mRNA Transfection
11:00

Real-Time Quantitative Measurement of Tumor Cell Migration and Invasion Following Synthetic mRNA Transfection

Published on: June 23, 2023

  • Description of monocellular assay methodologies.
  • Introduction and description of organotypic assay methodology, involving tumor cells cultured on stromal cell-populated gels at an air/liquid interface.

    • Main Results:

    • Monocellular assays provide insights into collective cell movement (scratch) or chemotaxis/haptotaxis (two-chamber).
    • A key limitation of these assays is their oversimplification and lack of in vivo relevance.
    • Organotypic assays provide a more complex and physiologically accurate 3D environment for studying tumor invasion.

    Conclusions:

    • Organotypic assays represent a significant advancement in modeling 3D tumor invasion.
    • These advanced models are essential for a deeper understanding of cancer cell behavior and metastasis.
    • Further development and application of organotypic models are recommended for cancer research.