A cost-effective tool to standardize the scratch assay for cell migration.

Background: The scratch assay is commonly used in cell biology to evaluate cell migration; however, it is not a standardized method; it produces highly variable gap dimensions. We design a printable device, comprising a single wounding tool and a guide, and compared the gap produced by our device and the traditional method. The deviceis printable in a standard 3D printer. Cells were seeded on a 24-well plate. After reaching full confluency, a gap was created using the traditional method (scratch assay with a pipette tip), a pipette tip and the guide of the device, or the single wounding tool and the guide. The gaps were observed for up to 48 h under a light microscope and analyzed.

Results: The results show that the traditional method produces irregular and not straight gaps, and had the worst cell migration rates compared to the other groups. The wounding tool produced scrape signs at the well surface.

Conclusion: The guide and pipette tip delivered the best results for the scratch assay.

Significance: The use of the guide and the pipette tip for the scratch assay allows allows to perform reproducible cell migration experiments.