FIGURE 2.

A selection of experimental assays used for studying cell migration in vitro. (A) 2D movement on culture surface; (B) under agarose migration assay (cells initially plated in a reservoir invade the agarose pad moving below it following a chemoattractant gradient, here represented by a pink gradient); (C) migration through matrix (cells embedded in a matrix moving inside it; matrix can be of different composition varying in stiffness and pores size); (D) collective cell migration with colour code indicating directionality degree of migrating cell population (cluster of cell moving in the same direction are depicted with the same colour); (E) wound healing (scratch) assay; (F) Zigmond chemotaxis chamber; (G) transwell assay; (H) micropatterning of adhesive molecules on non-adhesive surfaces (cells plated on this kind of devices spread on the suitable area and move according to the imposed constrains); (I) microfluidic-based migration assay within channels combined with constrictions (cells moving inside straight channels or channels with later constrictions).