What are the Current Methods for Studying Invasion and Metastasis?
Several methods are employed to study invasion and metastasis:
1. In vitro assays: These include the Boyden chamber assay and wound healing assay to measure cell migration and invasion. 2. Animal models: Mouse models are commonly used to study metastasis in a living organism. Techniques like tail vein injection can simulate metastasis. 3. Imaging techniques: Advanced imaging methods such as MRI, PET, and bioluminescence imaging allow for the visualization of metastatic spread in real-time. 4. Molecular techniques: Gene expression profiling, RNA sequencing, and proteomics help identify molecular changes associated with invasion and metastasis.
