Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 3.2
Continued
Class
Assay category
Confi guration/principle
Metric
Advantages
Disadvantages
Trans-fi lter
Migration through
porous fi lter
+
Commercially
−
Single gradient per
available
Sensitive to
experiment
Short-lived gradient
+
−
shallow gradients
Versatile
−
End point assay
+
Collagen gel invasion
Depth of invasion
into gel from
surface
+
Mimics tumor cell
−
Specialized
invasion
equipment for depth
profi ling
Single direction
−
considered
Individual
cell
motility
In vitro
assays
Population statistics
characterize
movement
parameters
Location, speed
and persistence
+
Migration
−
Planar substrates
independent
of proliferation
modeling provides
mechanisms of
locomotion
−
Cell behavior
different
in vitro
than
in vivo
Phagokinetic
Particle
displacement or
phagocytosis
+
Path characterized
−
End point assay
without live
imaging
−
Speed not
quantifi ed
Single cell tracking
Spatial and
temporal cell
tracking
+
Direct observation
−
Specialized
of movement
Versatile
equipment
Requires transparent
+
−
implementation
setup
Models do not
−
account for
collisions/divisions
Bridge
Cells cross bridge
along gradient
+
Direct observation
−
Specialized
of movement
Simple chemotaxis
equipment
+
