Cell invasion is the ability of cells to migrate from one area to another through an extracellular matrix. Cell invasion is exhibited by both normal cells as well as cancerous cells in response to specific external signals, including chemical and mechanical stimuli. During invasion, the extracellular matrix is enzymatically degraded by cellular proteases before cells migrate to the new location. Cell invasion is required for normal processes such as wound repair, vasculature formation and the inflammatory response, as well as the abnormal invasion of tissues by tumor cells during metastasis. Assay Genie's Cell Invasion Assay Kit utilizes a Boyden chamber coated with Fibronectin, a high-molecular weight extracellular matrix protein. The cells invade the fibronectin matrix and then migrate through a semipermeable membrane in the Boyden chamber in response to stimulants or inhibitory compounds. The percentage of cell invasion can be analyzed directly in a 96-well microplate reader. Our assay is easy to use, sensitive and adaptable to high-throughput systems.

Figure 1: (a) Cell Invasion Plate: Cells are added to the Top Chamber and the Control Invasion Inducer or other chemoattractant is added to the Bottom Chamber. Invasive cells will pass through the fibronectin matrix and Top Chamber membrane. (b) Standard Curve: HT-1080 cells were harvested, counted and serially diluted to obtain desired cell number. Cells were incubated and treated with cell viability dye according to the protocol. (c) Cell Invasion: HeLa and HT-1080 cells were serum starved overnight and treated with Control Invasion Inducer (+) or remained untreated (–). Treatment with Control Invasion Inducer resulted in a significant increase in invasion of HT-1080 cells across the membrane as compared to HeLa control cells.