In Vitro Cell Adhesion Assay

Creative Biolabs specializes in providing in vitro cell adhesion assay services to support our customers' scientific research in global cancer and related biomedical industries.

Overview of Adhesion Assay

Adhesion of a cell to an extracellular matrix (ECM), or a certain surface is a complex process involving many different molecular interactions. It is critical for the cell's growth and survival as well as communication with other cells. Establishing an appropriate in vitro cell co-culture system to detect the response of tumor cells adhering to stromal cells or extracellular matrix is of great significance for discovering new drugs for treating cancer pathology.

Fig.1 Dynamic cell adhesion cascade with docking and locking phases. (Khalili, 2015)

Our In Vitro Cell Adhesion Assay Service

Creative Biolabs specializes in providing in vitro cell adhesion assay services allowing global customers to test the response of a specific type of cell or cell line to adhere to a specific adhesive substrate, as well as the regulatory effects of the drug on unique cell-substrate interaction.

In our in vitro cell adhesion assay, cells are labeled with fluorescent probes and added to stromal cell monolayers or extracellular matrix-fixed plates for experiments. And a quantitative method based on a fluorescence measurement system was used to determine the number of adherent cells. Throughout the process, factors such as cell type, extracellular matrix substrate, test product concentration, and treatment time all have an impact on the final results. Creative Biolabs provide optimization of the whole experiment according to the customer's project.

Service Workflow

We provide comprehensive in vitro adhesion assay services with a range of process operations from cell culture, test articles treatment, and data analysis. We also provide customized service optimization according to the particularity of customer projects.

Our Features & Benefits

Representative Data

Background

Glioblastomas (GBs), highly malignant CNS neoplasms associated with limited therapeutic efficacy, exhibit invasive growth patterns characterized by diffuse infiltration. While the Hedgehog-Gli signaling axis is recognized as a contributor to gliomagenesis, this study identifies elevated Suppressor of Fused (SuFu)—a core pathway modulator—as positively correlated with enhanced glioma dissemination. This association prompted the mechanistic investigation into SuFu's influence on adhesive processes critical to migratory behavior.

Experimental Approach

To delineate SuFu's functional impact on adhesive interactions, quantitative adhesion assays were performed using glioma stem cells (GSCs) with genetically engineered SuFu expression levels. Cell populations were cultured on extracellular matrix (ECM)-coated substrates under standardized conditions, with adhesive capacity quantified through high-resolution imaging at 48 hours post-seeding.

Key Findings

SuFu-upregulated GSCs demonstrated enhanced substrate adhesion across multiple ECM substrates relative to controls. Molecular profiling revealed concomitant upregulation of α-integrin subunits critical for ECM engagement. The cytoskeletal analysis further identified elevated actin polymerization coupled with reduced vinculin expression—a pattern consistent with altered focal adhesion dynamics. Collectively, these data establish SuFu as a regulator of adhesive competence in glioma cells, implicating its mechanistic role in infiltration.

Fig.2 In vitro cell adhesion assay to evaluate the influence of SuFu expression on cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions.²

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What methodologies are available for cell adhesion analysis?

A1: Our platform provides a suite of standardized methodologies for adhesion characterization: static adhesion profiling employing microplate platforms; shear flow systems replicating physiologically relevant shear stress parameters; intercellular adhesion analyses; cell-extracellular matrix binding evaluations; and tailored experimental designs to address specialized research objectives.

Q2: Which cellular models are compatible with these experimental systems?

A2: Assays are compatible with diverse cellular models encompassing primary isolates, established lineages, and genetically engineered variants across species. Researchers should specify the biological system under investigation to confirm compatibility.

Q3: What experimental parameters are required for the study design?

A3: Project initiation requires the specification of:

• Biological model(s) for analysis
• Target substrates or ligands
• Defined intervention parameters (e.g., pharmacological agents, temporal resolution)
• Protocol customizations beyond standard operating procedures
• Replication architecture and sample cohort size.

For more details about our in vitro cell adhesion assay, please feel free to contact us or directly sent us an inquiry.

References

1. Ahmad Khalili, Amelia, and Mohd Ridzuan Ahmad. "A review of cell adhesion studies for biomedical and biological applications." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 16.8 (2015): 18149-18184. Distributed under Open Access License CC BY 4.0, without modification.
2. Peris-Celda, María, et al. "Suppressor of fused associates with dissemination patterns in patients with glioma." Frontiers in Oncology 12 (2022): 923681. Distributed under Open Access License CC BY 4.0. The original image was modified by using part A, and the title was changed to "In vitro cell adhesion assay to evaluate the influence of SuFu expression on cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions".

For Research Use Only.