Reproducible Cell Migration Screening Assay

AMSbio has announced two-dimensional cell-based assay kits for reproducibly screening test compounds that may stimulate or inhibit adherent cell migration.

The OrisCell Migration Assay provides a method that is less labour intensive, allows for real-time imaging, and is amenable to high throughput and high content imaging instruments. Unlike traditional cell migration assays using a Boyden chamber device, there is no transmembrane or cell culture insert obstructing live images of the cells as they migrate.

The assay uses a multi-step process that starts with the attachment (optional) of a detection mask to the bottom of the wells of a 96-well assay microplate. A specially designed, cell seeding stopper fitted inside of each microplate well restricts cells from seeding into a central detection zone as cells are being dispensed. After cell attachment has occurred (4-28 hrs), the stoppers are removed, allowing cells to freely migrate into the detection zone of the wells. Cells can be labeled pre- or post-migration. Cells that have not migrated into the detection zone are blocked from view by the mask initially applied to the plate bottom. Migrated cells may then be analyzed by using a fluorescence plate reader.