Extracellular electrophysiological based sensor to monitor cancer cells cooperative migration and cell-cell connections

Herein, we describe an electrophysiological based sensor that reproducibly monitors and quantifies in real-time collective migration and the formation of cell-cell junctions by C6 glioma cells seeded on top of electrodes. The signal amplitude and frequency generated by the migrating cells changed over time and these parameters were used to accurately calculate the migration speed. Electrophysiological measurements could also distinguish individual from collective cell migration. The migration of densely packed cells generated strong signals, while dispersed cells showed weak bioelectrical activity. We propose this electrophysiological technique as a cell-based biosensor to gain insight into the mechanisms of cooperative migration of cancer cells. Possible applications include screening for anti-migratory compounds, which may lead to the development of novel strategies for antineoplastic chemotherapy. •A sensor monitors and quantifies in real-time collective migration of cancer cells.•The bioelectrical signal arises from a synchronized cell activity.•The power of the signal provides information about cell-cell connectivity.•The sensor can distinguish individual from collective cell migration.