Injured tissue initiates a complex and structured series of events to repair the damaged area - this is called wound healing. These events may include increased vascularization by angiogenic factors, increased cell proliferation and extracellular matrix deposition, and infiltration by inflammatory immune cells as part of the necrotic tissue destruction process. The process of wound healing begins when the cells become polarized to the wound, initiate protrusion, migrate and close the wound area. These processes reflect the behavior of individual cells as well as the entire tissue complex.

The disadvantage of  "scratch wound” assays is the absence of a defined wound area or space between cells. These wounds vary in size and width, preventing consistent results and creating well-to-well variation. In addition, the "scratch injury" test often causes damage to the cells at the edge of the wound, which can prevent cell migration into the wound site and scarring.

Our wound healing assay kits overcome this inconsistency by providing patented treated inserts that can generate a wound field or defined space. The cells are cultured until they form a monolayer around the insert. The insert is removed, leaving an open 0.9 mm "wound field" between the cells. The cells can be treated and monitored at this stage for migration and proliferation in the wound field. The progression of these events can be measured by imaging samples fixed at specific times or by time-lapse microscopy.