Solbu Anita Akbarzadeh, Caballero David, Damigos Spyridon, Kundu Subhas C, Reis Rui L, Halaas Øyvind, Chahal Aman S, Strand Berit L
Department of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, NOBIPOL, NTNU- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, 4805-017, Barco, Guimarães, Portugal.
Mater Today Bio. 2022 Dec 29;18:100537. doi: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2022.100537. eCollection 2023 Feb.
Cell migration is essential in numerous living processes, including embryonic development, wound healing, immune responses, and cancer metastasis. From individual cells to collectively migrating epithelial sheets, the locomotion of cells is tightly regulated by multiple structural, chemical, and biological factors. However, the high complexity of this process limits the understanding of the influence of each factor. Recent advances in materials science, tissue engineering, and microtechnology have expanded the toolbox and allowed the development of biomimetic assays to investigate the mechanisms of cell migration. Particularly, three-dimensional (3D) hydrogels have demonstrated a superior ability to mimic the extracellular environment. They are therefore well suited to studying cell migration in a physiologically relevant and more straightforward manner than approaches A myriad of synthetic and naturally derived hydrogels with heterogeneous characteristics and functional properties have been reported. The extensive portfolio of available hydrogels with different mechanical and biological properties can trigger distinct biological responses in cells affecting their locomotion dynamics in 3D. Herein, we describe the most relevant hydrogels and their associated physico-chemical characteristics typically employed to study cell migration, including established cell migration assays and tracking methods. We aim to give the reader insight into existing literature and practical details necessary for performing cell migration studies in 3D environments.
细胞迁移在众多生命过程中至关重要，包括胚胎发育、伤口愈合、免疫反应和癌症转移。从单个细胞到集体迁移的上皮细胞片层，细胞的运动受到多种结构、化学和生物学因素的严格调控。然而，这一过程的高度复杂性限制了我们对每个因素影响的理解。材料科学、组织工程和微技术的最新进展扩展了工具库，并推动了仿生检测方法的发展，以研究细胞迁移的机制。特别是，三维（3D）水凝胶已显示出模拟细胞外环境的卓越能力。因此，它们比其他方法更适合以生理相关且更直接的方式研究细胞迁移。已经报道了无数具有异质特性和功能性质的合成和天然衍生水凝胶。具有不同机械和生物学性质的大量可用水凝胶可以在细胞中引发不同的生物学反应，从而影响它们在三维空间中的运动动力学。在此，我们描述了最相关的水凝胶及其通常用于研究细胞迁移的相关物理化学特性，包括已建立的细胞迁移检测方法和跟踪方法。我们旨在让读者深入了解现有文献以及在三维环境中进行细胞迁移研究所需的实际细节。
