Name: real-time quantitative measurement of tumor cell migration and invasion following synthetic mrna transfection
Uploaded: 2023-06-23T13:10:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Real-Time Quantitative Measurement of Tumor Cell Migration and Invasion Following Synthetic mRNA Transfection at JoVE.com

The authors thank the Medical Writing Center at Children&#39;s Mercy Kansas City for editing this manuscript. This work was supported by Natalie&#39;s A.R.T. Foundation (to T.P.) and by an MCA Partners Advisory Board grant from Children&#39;s Mercy Hospital (CMH) and the University of Kansas Cancer Center (KUCC) (to T.P.).

1. Synthesis of mRNA
NOTE: For the mRNA synthesis, all the reagents and equipment must be specially treated to inactivate the RNases before use. See the Table of Materials for details about all the materials, instruments, and reagents used in this protocol.
<ol>
	<li>Linearization of DNA 
	NOTE: Mouse cDNAs of CrkI and CrkL were cloned into the pFLAG-CMV-5a expression vector to add the FLAG epitope tag at the C-terminus and subcloned i...

<ol>
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J., Curran, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Crk+and+Crk-like+play+essential+overlapping+roles+downstream+of+disabled-1+in+the+Reelin+pathway.">Crk and Crk-like play essential overlapping roles downstream of disabled-1 in the Reelin pathway.</a> The Journal of Neuroscience. 28 (50), 13551-13562 (2008).</li><li>Huang, Y., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=CRK+proteins+selectively+regulate+T+cell+migration+into+inflamed+tissues.">CRK proteins selectively regulate T cell migration into inflamed tissues.</a> The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 125 (3), 1019-1032 (2015).</li><li>Wang, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Signaling+adaptor+protein+Crk+is+indispensable+for+malignant+feature+of+glioblastoma+cell+line+KMG4.">Signaling adaptor protein Crk is indispensable for malignant feature of glioblastoma cell line KMG4.</a> Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 362 (4), 976-981 (2007).</li><li>Kumar, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reciprocal+regulation+of+Abl+kinase+by+Crk+Y251+and+Abi1+controls+invasive+phenotypes+in+glioblastoma.">Reciprocal regulation of Abl kinase by Crk Y251 and Abi1 controls invasive phenotypes in glioblastoma.</a> Oncotarget. 6 (35), 37792-37807 (2015).</li><li>Kumar, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Crk+tyrosine+phosphorylation+regulates+PDGF-BB-inducible+Src+activation+and+breast+tumorigenicity+and+metastasis.">Crk tyrosine phosphorylation regulates PDGF-BB-inducible Src activation and breast tumorigenicity and metastasis.</a> Molecular Cancer Research. 16 (1), 173-183 (2018).</li><li>Raudenska, M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Engine+shutdown:+Migrastatic+strategies+and+prevention+of+metastases.">Engine shutdown: Migrastatic strategies and prevention of metastases.</a> Trends in Cancer. 9 (4), 293-308 (2023).</li><li>Decaestecker, C., Debeir, O., Van Ham, P., Kiss, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Can+anti-migratory+drugs+be+screened+in+vitro?+A+review+of+2D+and+3D+assays+for+the+quantitative+analysis+of+cell+migration.">Can anti-migratory drugs be screened in vitro? 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Migration and invasion are important features of tumor cells. Measuring the motility of tumor cells and understanding the underlying mechanism that controls tumor cell motility provide critical insights into therapeutic interventions2,27. Several methods have been developed to study cell migration7. The wound-healing assay using scratches or culture inserts is a simple and frequently used method that provides contrasting images of gap clos...

Tumor cell motility plays a crucial role in metastasis1,2. The spread of tumor cells to neighboring and remote healthy tissues makes cancer treatment difficult and contributes to recurrence3,4. Therefore, it is essential to understand the mechanisms of tumor cell motility and develop relevant therapeutic strategies. Since many tumor cells have altered gene expression profiles, it is crucial to understand which changes in the gene expression profile lead to altered tumor cell motility5,6.
Several assays have been developed to measure cell migration in vitro. Some assays only provide limited information due to only allowing measurements at specific time points, whereas others offer comprehensive information on tumor cell motility in real time7. Although many of these cell motility assays can provide quantitative results at a given time or the endpoint, they fail to provide sufficiently detailed information on dynamic changes in the rate of cell migration over the experimental period. In addition, it may be difficult to examine potential changes in the cell migration rate depending on experimental design, cell types, and cell numbers. Furthermore, the effects of uncomplicated treatments can be investigated by the simple quantification of traditional motility assays, but more sophisticated quantification may be required to study the complex effects of various combined treatments8.
An instrument to monitor the electrical current of a microtiter plate well bottom covered with microelectrodes has been developed9. The adhesion of cells to the surface of the well impedes the electron flow, and the impedance correlates with the quantitative and qualitative binding of the cells. The presence of the microelectrodes on the well bottom allows for the measurement of cell adhesion, spreading, and proliferation. The presence of the microelectrodes underneath a microporous membrane of the upper chamber allows for the measurement of cell migration and invasion into the lower chamber, with the upper chamber coated with extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins to allow for invasion10.
Previously, it was demonstrated that impedance-based real-time measurements of tumor cell migration and invasion provide real-time data during the whole experiment, as well as instant comparisons and quantifications under various experimental conditions11. In that method paper, gene knockdown was induced to test the role of proteins of interest in tumor cell migration and invasion. Since a full-blown gene knockdown effect under the tested experimental conditions took 3-4 days after electroporation with small interfering RNAs (siRNAs)8, the cells were replated after the electroporation and reharvested 3 days later for the impedance-based real-time measurement of tumor cell migration and invasion.
CT10 regulator of kinase (Crk) and Crk-like (CrkL) are adaptor proteins that mediate protein-protein interactions downstream of various growth factor receptor kinase pathways and nonreceptor tyrosine kinase pathways12. Elevated levels of Crk and CrkL proteins contribute to poor prognosis in several human cancers, including glioblastoma13. However, it is unclear how elevated Crk and CrkL proteins lead to a poor prognosis. Therefore, it is important to define the effect of Crk and CrkL overexpression on tumor cell functions. Previously, a gene knockdown study was performed to demonstrate that endogenous levels of Crk and CrkL proteins are required for glioblastoma cell migration and invasion8. Here, a modified assay system has been developed to address the effect of Crk and CrkL overexpression on tumor cell migration and invasion.
Recently, the in vitro synthesis of mRNA and its therapeutic applications have drawn renewed attention due to the development of the mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 (reviewed by Verbeke et al.14). In addition, remarkable advances have been made in using synthetic mRNA in cancer and other diseases15,16. The electroporation of cells is an effective method to deliver synthetic mRNA and induce transient genetic modification (reviewed by Campillo-Davo et al.17), and the use of synthetic mRNA enables rapid and efficient gene expression in immortalized fibroblasts18. This method paper combines gene overexpression using synthetic mRNA with real-time cell analyses to study tumor cell migration and invasion. However, the experimental scheme used for siRNAs does not work with synthetic mRNA transfection, as the level of exogenous proteins increases rapidly and decreases gradually upon synthetic mRNA transfection18. Therefore, the method has been modified to carry out the real-time analysis of cell migration and invasion right after the transfection without additionally culturing the cells.
This method paper demonstrates that combining impedance-based real-time measurements with the transfection of tumor cells with synthetic mRNAs provides a rapid and comprehensive analysis of the effects of gene upregulation on tumor cell migration and invasion. This method paper describes detailed procedures for measuring how the migration and invasion of glioblastoma cells are affected by the overexpression of Crk and CrkL. By examining the concentration-dependent effects of synthetic mRNA on tumor cell migration, the paper clearly describes how an increase in protein levels stimulates tumor cell migration. In addition, an approach of varying the concentration of the ECM gel is presented to assess the effects of changes in gene expression on tumor cell invasion.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>AlphaImager HP</td>
			<td>ProteinSimple</td>
			<td>92-13823-00</td>
			<td>Agarose gel imaging system</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#945;-Tubulin antibody</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>T9026</td>
			<td>Used to detect &#945;-tubulin protein (dilution 1:3,000)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CIM-plate 16</td>
			<td>Agilent Technologies, Inc</td>
			<td>5665825001</td>
			<td>Cell invasion and migration plates</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Crk antibody</td>
			<td>BD Biosciences</td>
			<td>610035</td>
			<td>Used to detect CrkI and CrkII proteins (dilution 1:1,500)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CrkL antibody</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz</td>
			<td>sc-319</td>
			<td>Used to detect CrkL protein (dilution 1:1,500)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dulbecco&#8217;s Modified Eagle&#8217;s Medium (DMEM)</td>
			<td>ATCC</td>
			<td>302002</td>
			<td>Cell culture medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dulbecco&#39;s phosphate-buffered saline (DPBS)</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>21-031-CV</td>
			<td>Buffer used to wash cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal bovine serum (FBS)</td>
			<td>Hyclone</td>
			<td>SH30910.03</td>
			<td>Culture medium supplement</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Heracell VIOS 160i CO2 incubator</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>51030285</td>
			<td>CO2 incubator</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>IRDye 800CW goat anti-mouse IgG secondary antibody</td>
			<td>Li-Cor</td>
			<td>926-32210</td>
			<td>Secondary antibody for Western blot analysis (dilution 1:10,000)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>IRDye 800CW goat anti-rabbit IgG secondary antibody</td>
			<td>Li-Cor</td>
			<td>926-32211</td>
			<td>Secondary antibody for Western blot analysis&#160; (dilution 1:10,000)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Lithium chloride&#160;</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>AM9480</td>
			<td>Used for RNA precipitation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Matrigel matrix</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>354234</td>
			<td>Extracellular matrix (ECM) gel</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MEGAscript T7 transcription kit</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>AM1334</td>
			<td>Used for RNA synthesis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Millennium RNA markers</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>AM7150</td>
			<td>Used for formaldehyde agarose gel electrophoresis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mini centrifuge</td>
			<td>ISC BioExpress</td>
			<td>C1301P-ISC</td>
			<td>Used to spin down cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mouse brain QUICK-Clone cDNA</td>
			<td>TaKaRa</td>
			<td>637301</td>
			<td>Source of genes (inserts) for cloning</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NanoQuant</td>
			<td>Tecan</td>
			<td>M200PRO</td>
			<td>Nucleic acid quantification system</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Neon electroporation system&#160;</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>MPK5000</td>
			<td>Electroporation system1</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Neon transfection system 10 &#181;L kit</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>MPK1025</td>
			<td>Electroporation kit</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Neon transfection system 100 &#181;L kit</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>MPK10096</td>
			<td>Electroporation kit</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NorthernMax denaturing gel buffer</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>AM8676</td>
			<td>Used for formaldehyde agarose gel electrophoresis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NorthernMax formaldehyde load dye</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>AM8552</td>
			<td>Used for formaldehyde agarose gel electrophoresis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NorthernMax running buffer</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>AM8671</td>
			<td>Used for formaldehyde agarose gel electrophoresis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nuclease-free water</td>
			<td>Teknova</td>
			<td>W3331</td>
			<td>Used for various reactions during mRNA synthesis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Odyssey CLx Imager</td>
			<td>Li-Cor</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Imager for Western blot analysis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pcDNA3.1/myc-His</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>V80020</td>
			<td>The vector into which inserts (mouse CrkI and CrkL cDNAs) were cloned</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pFLAG-CMV-5a</td>
			<td>Millipore Sigma</td>
			<td>E7523</td>
			<td>Source of the FLAG epitope tag</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Phenol:chloroform:isoamyl alcohol&#160;</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>P2069</td>
			<td>Used for DNA extraction</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PmeI</td>
			<td>New England BioLabs</td>
			<td>R0560L</td>
			<td>Used to linearize the plasmids for mRNA synthesis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Poly(A) tailing kit</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>AM1350</td>
			<td>Used for poly(A) tail reaction</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polystyrene tissue culture dish (100 x 20 mm style)</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>353003</td>
			<td>Used for culturing cells before transfection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polystyrene tissue culture dish (35 x 10 mm style)</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>353001</td>
			<td>Used for culturing transfected cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Proteinase K</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>25530049</td>
			<td>Used to remove protein in the reaction mixture</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Purifier Axiom Class II, Type C1</td>
			<td>Labconco Corporation</td>
			<td>304410001</td>
			<td>Biosafety cabinet for sterile handling of cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Resuspension Buffer R</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>A buffer included in the electroporation kits, MPK1025 and MPK10096. The buffer is used to resupend cells before electroporation, and its composition is proprietary information.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RNaseZap</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>AM9780</td>
			<td>RNA decontamination solution</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Scepter</td>
			<td>Millipore</td>
			<td>C85360</td>
			<td>Handheld automated cell counter&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ScriptCap 2&#39;-O-methyltransferase kit</td>
			<td>Cellscript</td>
			<td>C-SCMT0625</td>
			<td>Used for capping reaction</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ScriptCap m7G capping system</td>
			<td>Cellscript</td>
			<td>C-SCCE0625</td>
			<td>Used for capping reaction</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium dodecyl sulfate solution</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>15553-035</td>
			<td>Detergent used for the proteinase K reaction</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sorvall Legend XT centrifuge</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>75004532</td>
			<td>Benchtop centrifuge to spin down cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypsin-EDTA</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>25300-054</td>
			<td>Used for dissociation of cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>U-118MG&#160;</td>
			<td>ATCC</td>
			<td>HTB15</td>
			<td>An adherent cell line derived from a human glioblastoma patient</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Vinculin antibody</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>V9131</td>
			<td>Used to detect vinculin protein (dilution 1:100,000)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>xCELLigence RTCA DP</td>
			<td>Agilent Technologies, Inc</td>
			<td>380601050</td>
			<td>Instrument used for real-time cell analysis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1Electroporation parameters and other related information for various cell lines are available on the manufacturer&#39;s homepage (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/life-science/cell-culture/transfection/neon-transfection-system/neon-transfection-system-cell-line-data.html?).</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

real-time quantitative measurement of tumor cell migration and invasion following synthetic mrna transfection

Tumor cells are highly motile and invasive and display altered gene expression patterns. Knowledge of how changes in gene expression regulate tumor cell migration and invasion is essential for understanding the mechanisms of tumor cell infiltration into neighboring healthy tissues and metastasis. Previously, it was demonstrated that gene knockdown followed by the impedance-based real-time measurement of tumor cell migration and invasion enables the identification of the genes required for tumor cell migration and invasion. Recently, the mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have increased interest in using synthetic mRNA for therapeutic purposes. Here, the method using synthetic mRNA was revised to study the effect of gene overexpression on tumor cell migration and invasion. This study demonstrates that elevated gene expression with synthetic mRNA transfection followed by impedance-based real-time measurement may help identify the genes that stimulate tumor cell migration and invasion. This method paper provides important details on the procedures for examining the effect of altered gene expression on tumor cell migration and invasion.

Crk and CrkL proteins play important roles in the motility of many cell types, including neurons22, T cells23, fibroblasts18,19, and a variety of tumor cells13. Since Crk and CrkL proteins have been reported to be elevated in glioblastoma24,25,26, the effects of the overexpression of CrkI, a splice v...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Real-Time Quantitative Measurement of Tumor Cell Migration and Invasion Following Synthetic mRNA Transfection at JoVE.com

Real-Time Quantitative Measurement of Tumor Cell Migration and Invasion Following Synthetic mRNA Transfection

Many upregulated genes stimulate tumor cell migration and invasion, leading to poor prognosis. Determining which genes regulate tumor cell migration and invasion is critical. This protocol presents a method for investigating the effects of the increased expression of a gene on the migration and invasion of tumor cells in real time.

Tumor cells are highly motile and invasive and display altered gene expression patterns. Knowledge of how changes in gene expression regulate tumor cell ...

This protocol demonstrate that combining sensation messenger RNA transaction with impedance based real time measurements of cell migration and invasion facilitate the identification of gene that stimulate tumor cell migration and invasion. The impedance based real time cell analysis system enables quantitative, continuous, and comprehensive monitoring of tumor cell migration upon gene expression changes. Genes that are over expressing tumors and stimulate tumor cell migration can be identified as potential target to inhibit metastasis in cancer therapy.To begin, add 10 microliters of 10x reaction buffer, 1.5 microliters of PNE one, and 10 micrograms of a plasmid DNA to a micro centrifuge tube to linearized the plasmid DNA with the restriction enzyme. Add nuclease free water to bring the reaction volume to 100 microliters. Mix it by tapping and spinning it down before incubating the reaction mixture at 37 degrees Celsius overnight.Again, spin down and add five microliters of 10%SDS, and one microliter of 20 milligrams per milliliter of RNA grade proteinase K to the reaction mixture before mixing it and spinning it down. After 30 minutes of incubation at 50 degrees Celsius, add two microliters each of 10x transcription buffer, ATP, GTP, UTP, CTP, and T7, and one microgram of a linearized DNA to a micro centrifuge tube for T7 RNA polymerase mediated RNA synthesis. Add nuclease free water to bring the reaction volume to 20 microliters.After a spin down, incubate the reaction mixture at 37 degrees Celsius for two hours for RNA synthesis. Next, spin down and add one microliter of DNAs and tap before 15 minutes of incubation at 37 degrees Celsius to remove the template DNA. Begin the lithium chloride precipitation of the RNA by adding 10 microliters of 7.5 molar lithium chloride to the reaction mixture.After tapping and spinning down, incubate the reaction mixture at minus 20 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. For capping heat the RNA sample at 65 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes and then place it on ice for cooling. Next, add capping reaction components and mix by tapping.Spin down and incubate the reaction mixture at 37 degrees Celsius for one hour. For poly-A tailing, spin down the sample and add the poly-A tailing reaction components. Then tap, spin down, and incubate the reaction mixture at 37 degrees Celsius for two hours.For lithium chloride precipitation and quantification of the synthetic mRNA, add 50 microliters of 7.5 molar lithium chloride and perform the lithium chloride precipitation. Remove an aliquot of ECM gel stock from the freezer and keep it on ice. Dilute the 10 milligrams per liter ECM gel to a working concentration by mixing 990 microliters of DMEM with 10 microliters of ECM gel in a micro centrifuge tube.Mix by gentle pipetting. Add 60 microliters of diluted ECM gel to each of the 16 wells of the upper chamber of the CIM plate. Place the upper chamber of the CIM plate with the plate cover off on a protective plastic sheet inside a carbon dioxide incubator for approximately four hours to form a gel layer.For electroporation, add one milliliter of DPBS to the tumor cell suspension in each tube. Tap the cell suspension and spin down three times for 10 seconds. Remove the supernatant using a micro pipette.Add 110 microliters of resuspension buffer R to the cell pellet to obtain 0.1 million cells in 10 microliters. Add synthetic mRNA to the cell pellet to obtain the 0.2 to 20 nanograms per microliter concentration depending on the desired expression level. Mix and resuspend the cell pellet gently by tapping.Next, electroporate 10 microliters of the cell suspension with an electroporation system at 1, 350 volts for 10 milliseconds with three pulses each time. Once done, transfer the electroporated cells into a new micro centrifuge tube with 1.1 milliliters of DMEM containing 0.5%FBS. Open the analysis program by double clicking on the real-time cell analysis software icon.After opening the default experiment pattern setup option, select the option for running three experiments separately. Open each cradle by clicking on the number tab. Next, click the experiment notes tab.Select the folder and save the data by entering the experiment's name. Click on the layout tab and select four wells at a time to set up the quad duplicate wells for each treatment condition. Enter the sample information and click on apply.Click on the schedule tab, then add a step to set up the two step mode of the cell impedance measurements. Then, click apply to set up the first step. Click on add a step again and enter 10 minutes for the interval and 48 hours for the duration of migration and invasion.Then, click on apply to set up the second step. One hour before the cell impedance measurement, add 160 microliters of DMEM containing 10%serum or other chemo attractants to the wells of the lower chamber of the CIM plate. Assemble the upper chamber containing the ECM gel coated wells for invasion or uncoated wells for migration with the lower chamber.For the cell migration assay, add 50 microliters of low serum medium to the wells of the upper chamber of the CIM plate. Place the CIM plate and the cradle of the system in the CO2 incubator. Click on the message tab.Once the connection's okay, message is displayed, the CIM plate is ready for the experiment. Pre-incubate the assembled CIM plate in the carbon dioxide incubator for 30 to 60 minutes before the real time cell analysis to acclimate the CIM plate to the culture condition. For the baseline reading, click the start button for each cradle.When the save as window appears, save the experimental file to perform the baseline reading. For cell seating, remove the CIM plate from the cradle and place it in the biosafety cabinet on the plate holder. Then add 100 microliters of electroporated cells containing 100, 000 cells to the wells of the upper chamber of the CIM plate, and leave the CIM plate under the biosafety cabinet for 30 minutes at room temperature.Measure the cell impedance by moving the fully assembled CIM plate back to the respective cradle. Begin the cell impedance measurement for the second step by clicking on the cradle start button and on the plot tab. Then click the add all button and select the average and standard deviation boxes to visualize the data in real time.The electroporation of U 118 mg glioblastoma cells with varying concentrations of synthetic crack one mRNA resulted in a concentration dependent increase in flag tagged crack one protein one day after transfection. 0.2 and two nanograms per microliter mRNA led to an undetectable or modest expression of the exogenous crack one protein. 20 nanograms per microliter mRNA resulted in a higher expression level than the endogenous crack one protein.The cell migration assay indicated that the electroporation was 0.2 or two nanograms per microliter crack one mRNA did not greatly affect cell migration. However, electroporation with 20 nanograms per microliter crack one mRNA led to a clear stimulation of cell migration with more cells migrating between two and 13 hours revealing that glioblastoma cell migration was stimulated by the increase in the crack one protein level. The electroporation with synthetic crack L mRNA led to a robust expression of flag tagged crack L protein one day after transfection.The invasion of the control cells slowed down with the increased ECM protein concentration. Crack L over expressing cells showed an ECM gel concentration dependent decrease in cell invasion. The comparison between the control and crack L over expressing cells at different ECM gel concentrations indicated that crack L overexpression generally stimulated cell invasion through the ECM gel layer.The results also suggested that the two cell populations were differentially affected by increasing ECM gel concentration at different time points. Cells should be resuspended quickly, gently, and completely in the resuspended bubble R people electroporation because long incubation of cells in the resuspended bubble R makes cells unhealthy. Fast and slow migrating tumor cells can be isolated to characterize differences between the two cell populations.

real-time-quantitative-measurement-tumor-cell-migration-invasion

Research

JoVE Journal

Cancer Research

Evaluation of the Cell Invasion and Migration Process: A Comparison of the Video Microscope-based Scratch Wound Assay and the Boyden Chamber Assay

The invasion and migration abilities of tumor cells are main contributors to cancer progression and recurrence. Many studies have explored the migration and invasion abilities to understand how cancer cells disseminate, with the aim of developing new treatment strategies. Analysis of the cellular and molecular basis of these abilities has led to the characterization of cell mobility and the physicochemical properties of the cytoskeleton and cellular microenvironment. For many years, the Boyden chamber assay and the scratch wound assay have been the standard techniques to study cell invasion and migration. However, these two techniques have limitations. The Boyden chamber assay is difficult and time consuming, and the scratch wound assay has low reproducibility. Development of modern technologies, especially in microscopy, has increased the reproducibility of the scratch wound assay. Using powerful analysis systems, an &#34;in-incubator&#34; video microscope can be used to provide automatic and real-time analysis of cell migration and invasion. The aim of this paper is to report and compare the two assays used to study cell invasion and migration: the Boyden chamber assay and an optimized in vitro video microscope-based scratch wound assay.

This study reports two different methods for the analysis of cell invasion and migration: the Boyden chamber assay and the in vitro video microscope-based wound-healing assay. The protocols for these two experiments are described, and their benefits and disadvantages are compared.

The invasion and migration abilities of tumor cells are main contributors to cancer progression and recurrence. Many studies have explored the migration ...

Using the Dot Assay to Analyze Migration of Cell Sheets

Although complex organisms appear static, their tissues are under a continuous turnover. As cells age, die, and are replaced by new cells, cells move within tissues in a tightly orchestrated manner. During tumor development, this equilibrium is disturbed, and tumor cells leave the epithelium of origin to invade the local microenvironment, to travel to distant sites, and to ultimately form metastatic tumors at distant sites. The dot assay is a simple, two-dimensional unconstrained migration assay, to assess the net movement of cell sheets into a cell-free area, and to analyze parameters of cell migration using time-lapse imaging. Here, the dot assay is demonstrated using a human invasive, lung colony forming breast cancer cell line, MCF10CA1a, to analyze the cells' migratory response to epidermal growth factor (EGF), which is known to increase malignant potential of breast cancer cells and to alter the migratory phenotype of cells.

Cell migration is essential for development, tissue maintenance and repair, and tumorigenesis, and is regulated by growth factors, chemokines, and cytokines. This protocol describes the dot assay, a two-dimensional, unconstrained migration assay to assess the migratory phenotype of attached, cohesive cell sheets in response to microenvironmental cues.

Although complex organisms appear static, their tissues are under a continuous turnover. As cells age, die, and are replaced by new cells, cells move ...

Serum and Plasma Copy Number Detection Using Real-time PCR

Serum and plasma cell free DNA (cfDNA) has been shown as an informative, non-invasive source of biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring, and prediction of treatment resistance. Starting from the hypothesis that androgen receptor (AR) gene copy number (CN) gain is a frequent event in metastatic castration resistance prostate cancer (mCRPC), we propose to analyze this event in cfDNA as a potential predictive biomarker.
We evaluated AR CN in cfDNA using 2 different real-time PCR assays and 2 reference genes (RNaseP and AGO1). DNA amount of 60 ng was used for each assay combination. AR CN gain was confirmed using Digital PCR as a more accurate method. CN variation analysis has already been demonstrated to be informative for the prediction of treatment resistance in the setting of mCRPC, but it could be useful also for other purposes in different patient settings. CN analysis on cfDNA has several advantages: it is non-invasive, rapid and easy to perform, and it starts from a small volume of serum or plasma material.

This manuscript describes the copy number variation analysis performed in serum or plasma DNA using real-time PCR approach. This method is suitable for the prediction of drug resistance in castration resistant prostate cancer patients, but it could be informative also for other diseases.

Serum and plasma cell free DNA (cfDNA) has been shown as an informative, non-invasive source of biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring, ...

Live-Cell Imaging Assays to Study Glioblastoma Brain Tumor Stem Cell Migration and Invasion

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor that is poorly controlled with the currently available treatment options. Key features of GBMs include rapid proliferation and pervasive invasion into the normal brain. Recurrence is thought to result from the presence of radio- and chemo-resistant brain tumor stem cells (BTSCs) that invade away from the initial cancerous mass and, thus, evade surgical resection. Hence, therapies that target BTSCs and their invasive abilities may improve the otherwise poor prognosis of this disease. Our group and others have successfully established and characterized BTSC cultures from GBM patient samples. These BTSC cultures demonstrate fundamental cancer stem cell properties such as clonogenic self-renewal, multi-lineage differentiation, and tumor initiation in immune-deficient mice. In order to improve on the current therapeutic approaches for GBM, a better understanding of the mechanisms of BTSC migration and invasion is necessary. In GBM, the study of migration and invasion is restricted, in part, due to the limitations of existing techniques which do not fully account for the in vitro growth characteristics of BTSCs grown as neurospheres. Here, we describe rapid and quantitative live-cell imaging assays to study both the migration and invasion properties of BTSCs. The first method described is the BTSC migration assay which measures the migration toward a chemoattractant gradient. The second method described is the BTSC invasion assay which images and quantifies a cellular invasion from neurospheres into a matrix. The assays described here are used for the quantification of BTSC migration and invasion over time and under different treatment conditions.

Here, we describe live-cell imaging techniques to quantitatively measure the migration and invasion of glioblastoma brain tumor stem cells over time and under multiple treatment conditions.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor that is poorly controlled with the currently available treatment options. Key features of GBMs include ...

Real Time Detection of In Vitro Tumor Cell Apoptosis Induced by CD8+ T Cells to Study Immune Suppressive Functions of Tumor-infiltrating Myeloid Cells

Potentiation of the tumor-killing ability of CD8+ T cells in tumors, along with their efficient tumor infiltration, is a key element of successful immunotherapies. Several studies have indicated that tumor infiltrating myeloid cells (e.g., myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs)) suppress cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment, and that targeting these regulatory myeloid cells can improve immunotherapies. Here, we present an in vitro assay system to evaluate immune suppressive effects of monocytic-MDSCs and TAMs on the tumor-killing ability of CD8+ T cells. To this end, we first cultured na&#239;ve splenic CD8+ T cells with anti-CD3/CD28 activating antibodies in the presence or absence of suppressor cells, and then co-cultured the pre-activated T cells with target cancer cells in the presence of a fluorogenic caspase-3 substrate. Fluorescence from the substrate in cancer cells was detected by real-time fluorescence microscopy as an indicator of T-cell induced tumor cell apoptosis. In this assay, we can successfully detect the increase of tumor cell apoptosis by CD8+ T cells and its suppression by pre-culture with TAMs or MDSCs. This functional assay is useful for investigating CD8+ T cell suppression mechanisms by regulatory myeloid cells and identifying druggable targets to overcome it via high throughput screening.

Real Time Detection of In Vitro Tumor Cell Apoptosis Induced by CD8+ T Cells to Study Immune Suppressive Functions of Tumor-infiltrating Myeloid Cells

We describe here a protocol to investigate cytotoxicity of pre-activated CD8+ T cells against cancer cells by detecting apoptotic cancer cells via real-time microscopy. This protocol can investigate mechanisms behind myeloid cell-induced T cell suppression and evaluate compounds aimed at replenishing T cells via blockade of immune suppressive myeloid cells.

Potentiation of the tumor-killing ability of CD8+ T cells in tumors, along with their efficient tumor infiltration, is a key element of successful ...

A Simple Migration/Invasion Workflow Using an Automated Live-cell Imager

Cancer cell mobility is crucial for the initiation of metastasis. Therefore, investigation of the cell movement and invasive capacity is of great significance. Migration assays provide basic insight of cell movement at a 2D level, whereas invasion assays are more physiologically relevant, mimicking in vivo cancer cell dislodgment from the original site and invading through the extracellular matrix. The current protocol provides a single workflow for migration and invasion assays. Together with the integrated automated microscopic camera for real-time HD images and built-in analysis module, it gives researchers a time-efficient, simple and reproducible experimental option. This protocol also includes substitutions for the consumables and alternative analysis methods for users to choose from.

The current protocol describes an integrated method investigating cancer cell migration and invasion on a single platform in real-time, providing an easily reproducible and time-efficient option to study cell mobility and morphology.

Cancer cell mobility is crucial for the initiation of metastasis. Therefore, investigation of the cell movement and invasive capacity is of great ...

Fully Human Tumor-based Matrix in Three-dimensional Spheroid Invasion Assay

Two-dimensional cell culture-based assays are commonly used in in vitro cancer research. However, they lack several basic elements that form the tumor microenvironment. To obtain more reliable in vitro results, several three-dimensional (3D) cell culture assays have been introduced. These assays allow cancer cells to interact with the extracellular matrix. This interaction affects cell behavior, such as proliferation and invasion, as well as cell morphology. Additionally, this interaction could induce or suppress the expression of several pro- and anti-tumorigenic molecules. Spheroid invasion assay was developed to provide a suitable 3D in vitro method to study cancer cell invasion. Currently, animal-derived matrices, such as mouse sarcoma-derived matrix (MSDM) and rat tail type I collagen, are mainly used in the spheroid invasion assays. Taking into consideration the differences between the human tumor microenvironment and animal-derived matrices, a human myoma-derived matrix (HMDM) was developed from benign uterus leiomyoma tissue. It has been shown that HMDM induces migration and invasion of carcinoma cells better than MSDM. This protocol provided a simple, reproducible, and reliable 3D human tumor-based spheroid invasion assay using the HMDM/fibrin matrix. It also includes detailed instructions on imaging and analysis. The spheroids grow in a U-shaped ultra-low attachment plate within the HMDM/fibrin matrix and invade through it. The invasion is daily imaged, measured, and analyzed using ilastik and Fiji ImageJ software. The assay platform was demonstrated using human laryngeal primary and metastatic squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. However, the protocol is suitable also for other solid cancer cell lines.

Tumor microenvironment is an essential part of cancer growth and invasion. To mimic carcinoma progression, a biologically relevant human matrix is needed. This protocol introduces an improvement for the in vitro three-dimensional spheroid invasion assay by applying a human leiomyoma-based matrix. The protocol also introduces a computer-based cell invasion analysis.

Two-dimensional cell culture-based assays are commonly used in in vitro cancer research. However, they lack several basic elements that form the tumor ...

Real-Time Monitoring of Human Glioma Cell Migration on Dorsal Root Ganglion Axon-Oligodendrocyte Co-Cultures

Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive human cancers due to extensive cellular heterogeneity and the migration properties of hGCs. In order to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying glioma cell migration, an ability to study the interaction between hGCs and axons within the tumor microenvironment is essential. In order to model this cellular interaction, we developed a mixed culture system consisting of hGCs and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) axon-oligodendrocyte co-cultures. DRG cultures were selected because they can be isolated efficiently and can form the long, extensive projections which are ideal for migration studies of this nature. Purified rat oligodendrocytes were then added on purified rat DRG axons and induced to myelinate. After confirming the formation of compact myelin, hGCs were finally added to the co-culture and their interactions with DRG axons and oligodendrocytes was monitored in real-time using time-lapse microscopy. Under these conditions, hGCs form tumor-like aggregate structures that express GFAP and Ki67, migrate along both myelinated and non-myelinated axonal tracks and interact with these axons through the formation of pseudopodia. Our ex vivo co-culture system can be used to identify novel cellular and molecular mechanisms of hGC migration and could potentially be used for in vitro drug efficacy testing.

Here we present an ex-vivo mixed monolayer culture system for the study of human glioma cell (hGC) migration in real-time. This model provides the ability to observe interactions between hGCs and both myelinated and non-myelinated axons within a compartmentalized chamber.

Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive human cancers due to extensive cellular heterogeneity and the migration properties of hGCs. In order to better ...

Characterization of the Effects of Migrastatic Inhibitors on 3D Tumor Spheroid Invasion by High-resolution Confocal Microscopy

Drug discovery and development in cancer research is increasingly being based on drug screens in a 3D format. Novel inhibitors targeting the migratory and invasive potential of cancer cells, and consequently the metastatic spread of disease, are being discovered and considered as complementary treatments in highly invasive cancers such as gliomas. Thus, generating data enabling the detailed analyses of cells in a 3D environment following the addition of a drug is required. The methodology described here, combining spheroid invasion assays with high-resolution image capture and data analysis by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), enabled detailed characterization of the effects of the potential anti-migratory inhibitor MI-192 on glioma cells. Spheroids were generated from cell lines for invasion assays in low adherent 96-well plates and then prepared for CLSM analysis. The described workflow was preferred over other commonly used spheroid-generating techniques due to both ease and reproducibility. This, combined with the enhanced image resolution attained by confocal microscopy compared to conventional wide-field approaches, allowed the identification and analysis of distinct morphological changes in migratory cells in a 3D environment following treatment with the migrastatic drug MI-192.

The effects of migrastatic inhibitors on glioma cancer cell migration in three-dimensional (3D) invasion assays using a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor are characterized by high-resolution confocal microscopy.

Drug discovery and development in cancer research is increasingly being based on drug screens in a 3D format. Novel inhibitors targeting the migratory and ...

Impedance-based Real-time Measurement of Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion

Cancer arises due to uncontrolled proliferation of cells initiated by genetic instability, mutations, and environmental and other stress factors. These acquired abnormalities in complex, multilayered molecular signaling networks induce aberrant cell proliferation and survival, extracellular matrix degradation, and metastasis to distant organs. Approximately 90% of cancer-related deaths are estimated to be caused by the direct or indirect effects of metastatic dissemination. Therefore, it is important to establish a highly reliable, comprehensive system to characterize cancer cell behaviors upon genetic and environmental manipulations. Such a system can give a clear understanding of the molecular regulation of cancer metastasis and the opportunity for successful development of stratified, precise therapeutic strategies. Hence, accurate determination of cancer cell behaviors such as migration and invasion with gain or loss of function of gene(s) allows assessment of the aggressive nature of cancer cells. The real-time measurement system based on cell impedance enables researchers to continually acquire data during a whole experiment and instantly compare and quantify the results under various experimental conditions. Unlike conventional methods, this method does not require fixation, staining, and sample processing to analyze cells that migrate or invade. This method paper emphasizes detailed procedures for real-time determination of migration and invasion of glioblastoma cancer cells.

Cancer is a lethal disease due to its ability to metastasize to different organs. Determining the ability of cancer cells to migrate and invade under various treatment conditions is crucial to assessing therapeutic strategies. This protocol presents a method to assess the real-time metastatic abilities of a glioblastoma cancer cell line.&#160;

Cancer arises due to uncontrolled proliferation of cells initiated by genetic instability, mutations, and environmental and other stress factors. These ...