VitroGel® MMP Cell Invasion Assay Kit

Tunable High-Concentration Cell Invasion Assay

Product Description

• Full Control of ECM properties – Unlock the understanding of key ECM factors on cell migration/invasion. Gain new knowledge that was not capable with animal-based ECM)
• Synthetic hydrogel with batch-to-batch consistency: Accurate and reproducible results
• Easy to use at room temperature operation: Supports lab automation and high-throughput applications

Cell invasion, a vital process in various biological contexts, can be pivotal in embryonic development, immunosurveillance, and wound healing while also playing a concerning role in cancer metastasis. Traditional in vitro invasion assays have relied on animal-based extracellular matrices, which come with challenges like undefined components, batch-to-batch variability, and cumbersome temperature-sensitive protocols, thus leading to inconsistent and inaccurate studies.

This VitroGel MMP Cell Invasion Assay Kit is powered by VitroGel® hydrogel (versatile, xeno-free, bio-functional hydrogel that closely mimics the physiological extracellular matrix) and coupled with premium quality VitroPrime™ Cell Culture Inserts, allowing more accurate and consistent invasion and migration studies than animal-based ECM. 

The complete range of kits consists of one ready-to-use VitroGel® Cell Invasion Assay Kit (which includes VitroGel Hydrogel Matrix) for traditional cell invasion assay studies and different VitroGel “High Concentration” Cell Invasion Assay Kits where the biophysical and biochemical properties are tunable, allowing researchers to explore how different matrix strengths, ligands, chemokines, growth factors, and more influence cell invasion.

How it works

Work confidently at room temperature. No ice bucket here.  VitroGel Cell Invasion Assay Kit is ready-to-use.  Just mix with your cells.  There is no cross-linking agent required. (Click to learn how gelation works)

Comparison to traditional animal-based ECM

Supporting Data

Study the effect of functional ligands and degradability of hydrogel matrix on cell mobility

• Tunable VitroGel MMP Cell Invasion Assay
• Insert: VitroGel 3D hydrogel at 1:3 dilution ratio
• Outer well: No serum v.s. 20% FBS
• Cell Incubation time: 48 hrs

Fig.1. Bio-functional ligands inside hydrogel influence U87-MG glioblastoma cell invasion.
A. Schematic representation of experimental setup. Hydrogels were diluted with VitroGel dilution solution in a 1:3 ratio, placed in the insert, and allowed to solidify for 20 mins. B. Light microscopy images showing U87-MG glioblastoma cell invasion through VitroGel high-concentration hydrogels with different bio-functional ligands. Images were obtained with a Zeiss microscope at a 10X magnification. C. Fold change of cell invasion in the FBS group relative to the No FBS group for each hydrogel.