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Updated: May 7, 2026
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The Use of Mouse Mammary Tumor Cells in an In Vitro Invasion Assay as a Measure of Oncogenic Cell Behavior
Published on: June 12, 2019
In vitro invasion assay using matrigel™: a reconstituted basement membrane preparation
Debbie M S Hall1, Susan A Brooks
1Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxford, UK.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|October 5, 2013
Summary
This study presents a straightforward assay to measure cancer cell invasion through basement membranes. The method aids in understanding metastasis and screening for potential anti-invasion drugs.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Basement membranes are crucial extracellular matrices separating epithelial and connective tissues.
- Cancer cell invasion through basement membranes is essential for metastasis and secondary tumor formation.
- Understanding this process is key to developing anti-cancer therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a technically straightforward assay for measuring cancer cell invasion through basement membranes.
- To provide a tool for assessing cancer cell invasiveness and screening for invasion inhibitors.
- To explore the role of cell surface molecules in cancer cell invasion.
Main Methods:
- Utilizes solubilized basement membrane preparation (Matrigel™).
- Measures cancer cell attachment to the matrix.
- Assesses invasion into and through the matrix, and migration towards a chemoattractant.
Main Results:
- The assay is technically straightforward and requires no specialist equipment.
- It provides a useful tool for assessing the invasive ability of cancer cells.
- It aids in exploring the functional role of cell surface molecules and screening for inhibitors.
Conclusions:
- The described assay is a valuable tool for studying cancer cell invasion.
- It contributes to understanding the molecular events critical for metastasis.
- This assay can facilitate the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies targeting cancer invasion.
