Method for Analysis of Nanoparticle Effects on Cellular Chemotaxis

Chemotaxis is the phenomenon in which cells direct their movements in the presence of certain chemicals (chemoattractants or chemorepellents). Leukocyte recruitment (via chemotaxis) is an important component of the inflammatory response, both in physiological host defense and in a range of prevalent disorders that include an inflammatory component. Circulating leukocytes in the bloodstream migrate towards the site of inflammation in response to a complex network of proinflammatory signaling molecules (including cytokines, chemokines and prostaglandins). This chapter describes a method for rapid measure of the chemoattractant capacity of nanoparticulate materials. This method is an in vitro model for chemotaxis, in which promyelocytic leukemia cell migration through a filter is monitored using a fluorescent dye.