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Single Cell Migration Assay Using Human Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cell Line
1Dept of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA.
Bio-Protocol
|July 14, 2020
Summary
This study introduces a single cell migration assay for quantifying cell movement speed. The method uses live cell imaging and manual tracking to assess migration dynamics, aiding in preliminary cellular manipulation studies.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Cell migration is vital for physiological and pathological processes.
- Existing assays include scratch and transwell assays.
- A need exists for simpler methods to study cell migration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a straightforward single cell migration assay.
- To enable rapid assessment of cellular manipulation effects on migration.
- To provide a foundational method before complex assays.
Main Methods:
- Cells are sparsely plated on collagen-coated plates.
- Live cell imaging is conducted over 2 hours at 1 frame/minute.
- Cell tracking is performed manually using ImageJ to determine centroid movement.
Main Results:
- Movement data is exported to calculate distance traveled frame-to-frame.
- Cell speed is determined by dividing total distance by imaging time.
- This assay offers a quick assessment of migration.
Conclusions:
- The single cell migration assay is a rapid and effective method.
- It allows for preliminary evaluation of factors influencing cell migration.
- This technique complements more complex cell migration assays.
