Table 1.
Comparison between celltrackR and existing software for cell migration data. The table lists accessibility and implemented functionalities for each available resource (as assessed from the online documentation provided by the software authors).[17-25]
| Name | Description | Tracking, QC, preprocessing | Analysis scales | Analysis metrics | Angles/directions | Visualization | Inference | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Free (including dependencies) | Open Source | Support for 3D tracking | Track from image | Load tracks from other software | Detect gaps | Detect/filter short tracks | Detect/correct drift | Detect tracking errors | Interpolate tracks | Automated filtering | Select subtracks | Instantaneous metrics | Cell-based metrics | Step-based metrics | Staggered metrics | Population metrics | Displacement | Max displacement | Speed | Turning angles | Turning dot product | Track length | Straightness | Asphericity | Outreach ratio | Displacement ratio | Interface for custom metric | Angle/distance to point | Angle to direction | Angle/distance to plane | Forward migration index (FMI) | Angles between (sub)tracks | Test lor directionality | Track visualization | MSD plot | Autocorrelation plot | Plot metrics and/or angles | Feature dimensionality reduction | Track clustering | Statistical testing on track metrics | Track simulation | |
| celltrackR | RP | + | + | + | − | + | A | + | TB | A | + | + | A | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | − | + | H | + | + | + | C | + | + | +* | + |
| CellMissy [15] | JG | + | + | − | − | + | − | − | − | − | + | +* | − | + | + | + | − | + | + | + | + | + | − | + | − | − | + | + | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | + | + | + | PB | − | − | + | − |
| Chemotaxis & Migration [16] | IP,S | + | + | + | − | + | − | − | − | − | − | +* | − | + | + | − | − | + | + | − | + | − | − | + | + | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | + | − | R | + | − | − | PB | − | − | − | − |
| Cellprofiler Tracer [17] | JG | + | + | − | + | − | A | + | − | A | − | − | M | + | − | − | − | − | + | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | + | − | − | − | − | − | − | − |
| Icy* [18] | IP | + | + | + | + | − | − | − | − | − | − | + | − | + | + | − | − | + | + | + | + | − | − | + | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | + | + | − | PB | − | − | − | − |
| TrackMate [19] | IP | + | + | + | + | − | − | + | − | − | − | + | − | + | + | − | − | + | + | + | + | − | − | + | + | − | − | − | + | − | − | − | + | − | − | + | − | − | PB | − | − | − | − |
| iTrack4U [20] | JG | + | + | − | + | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | + | + | − | − | + | + | + | + | + | − | + | + | − | − | − | − | − | s | − | − | − | − | + | − | − | − | − | − | − | − |
| CellTrack [21] | S | + | + | − | + | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | + | + | − | − | − | − | − | + | − | − | + | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | + | − | − | PB | − | − | − | − |
| CellTracker [22] | MP | − | + | − | + | − | M | + | IB | M | + | − | − | + | + | − | − | + | + | + | + | + | − | + | − | − | + | − | − | s | − | − | − | − | − | + | − | − | − | − | − | − | − |
| ImariesTrack [23] | S | − | − | + | + | − | M | + | IB | − | − | + | − | + | + | − | − | + | + | − | + | − | − | + | + | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | + | − | + | − | − | PB | − | − | − | − |
| MetaMorph [24] | S | − | − | − | + | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | + | + | − | − | + | + | − | + | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | + | − | − | PB | − | − | − | − |
| Velocity [25] | S | − | − | + | + | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | + | + | − | − | + | − | − | + | − | − | + | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | + | − | − | PB | − | − | − | − |
| *With PACT, Track Manager, and Motion Profiler plugins | R package (RP), Java GUI (JG), ImageJ/Icy plugins (IP), Standalone (S), Matlab plugin (MP) | automated/manual (A/M) track/image-based (TB/IB), *only based on distance/velocity | only with respect to specific point/direction (s), Hotelling's test (H), Rayleigh Test (R) | pre-built plots only (PB), custom plots of any metric (C) | *Using any statistical testing options from the R language | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||