Cell Migration in Three Dimensions.

Abstract

Cell migration plays an essential role in many pathophysiological processes, including embryonic development, wound healing, immunity, and cancer invasion, and is therefore a widely studied phenomenon in many different fields from basic cell biology to regenerative medicine. During the past decades, a multitude of increasingly complex methods have been developed to study cell migration. Here we compile a series of current state-of-the-art methods and protocols to investigate cell migration in a variety of model systems ranging from cells, organoids, tissue explants, and microfluidic systems to Drosophila, zebrafish, and mice. Together they cover processes as diverse as nuclear deformation, energy consumption, endocytic trafficking, and matrix degradation, as well as tumor vascularization and cancer cell invasion, sprouting angiogenesis, and leukocyte extravasation. Furthermore, methods to study developmental processes such as neural tube closure, germ layer specification, and branching morphogenesis are included, as well as scripts for the automated analysis of several aspects of cell migration. Together, this book constitutes a unique collection of methods of prime importance to those interested in the analysis of cell migration.