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Analysis of Invasion Dynamics of Matrix-Embedded Cells in a Multisample Format

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Cell Migration

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1749))

Abstract

In vitro tests of cancer cell invasion are the “first line” tools of preclinical researchers for screening the multitude of chemical compounds or cell perturbations that may aid in halting or treating cancer malignancy. In order to have predictive value or to contribute to designing personalized treatment regimes, these tests need to take into account the cancer cell environment and measure effects on invasion in sufficient detail. The in vitro invasion assays presented here are a trade-off between feasibility in a multisample format and mimicking the complexity of the tumor microenvironment. They allow testing multiple samples and conditions in parallel using 3D-matrix-embedded cells and deal with the heterogeneous behavior of an invading cell population in time. We describe the steps to take, the technical problems to tackle and useful software tools for the entire workflow: from the experimental setup to the quantification of the invasive capacity of the cells. The protocol is intended to guide researchers to standardize experimental set-ups and to annotate their invasion experiments in sufficient detail. In addition, it provides options for image processing and a solution for storage, visualization, quantitative analysis, and multisample comparison of acquired cell invasion data.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme under Grant Agreement 634107 (PHC32–2014). L.H. was funded by Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds UGent 01J04806. M.V.T. acknowledges VIB TechWatch for funding of software acquisition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    Marleen Van Troys, Paola Masuzzo, Lynn Huyck, Karima Bakkali, Davy Waterschoot, Lennart Martens & Christophe Ampe

  2. Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium

    Marleen Van Troys, Paola Masuzzo, Lennart Martens & Christophe Ampe

  3. Medical Biotechnology Center, VIB, Ghent, Belgium

    Paola Masuzzo & Lennart Martens

  4. UZ Gent VINRAD, Ghent, Belgium

    Lynn Huyck

Authors
  1. Marleen Van Troys
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  2. Paola Masuzzo
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  3. Lynn Huyck
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  4. Karima Bakkali
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  5. Davy Waterschoot
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  6. Lennart Martens
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  7. Christophe Ampe
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marleen Van Troys .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Biochemistry, Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France

    Alexis Gautreau

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Van Troys, M. et al. (2018). Analysis of Invasion Dynamics of Matrix-Embedded Cells in a Multisample Format. In: Gautreau, A. (eds) Cell Migration. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1749. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7701-7_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7701-7_9

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-7700-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-7701-7

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