Cancer Biology

Hanging drop assay can be used to investigate cell-cell cohesion and cell-substratum adhesion through generation of 3D spheroids under physiological conditions. It also can be used to elucidate the role of cell-cell or cell-ECM interactions in specifying spatial relationships between two (or more) different cell populations. This simple method requires no specialized equipment and provides a means of generating tissue-like cellular aggregates for measurement of biomechanical properties for molecular and biochemical analysis in a physiologically relevant model.