Cell motility in a new single-cell wound model

Until now researchers have used a monolayer of cultured cells to investigat e cell motility toward an injured cell. However, we suspect that, when usin g this method. adjacent cells move to the free space due to relief of conta ct inhibition. The cur-rent study was designed to investigate the cell moti lity nearby an injured cell in varying cell connectivity. A low-power laser beam was used to damage one cell selectively with the silver coating beads . After injury, we observed the cell motility in three different cell types : (1) those immediately adjacent to the injured cell, (2) those removed fro m the injured cell by interposition of another cell, and (3) those removed from the injured cell by free space. The cells that are in direct contact w ith the injured cell moved toward the injured cell within 1.5-3.0 h. Indire ctly connected cells and cells with no contact, on the other hand. showed n o significant movement toward the injured cell. This suggests that the cell motility toward the cell injury is not only due to relief of contact inhib ition hut might also be caused by cell-to-cell signaling via cell connectio n. The current method will provide a tool to create a cell injury without d amaging adjacent cells.