Studying Cell Adhesion

1. Introduction.- 2. The Surface Force Technique: Interactions Between Surfactant Bilayers and Between Protein Layers.- 3. Direct Measurements of Specific Ligand-Receptor Interactions Between Model Membrane Surfaces.- 4. The Study of Biomolecules on Surfaces Using the Scanning Force Microscope.- 5. Surface Force Measurement Techniques and Their Application to the Interaction Between Surfactant Coated Surfaces.- 6. Measurement of the Strength of Cell-Cell and Cell-Substratum Adhesion with Simple Methods.- 7. Method to Assess the Strength of Cell-Cell Adhesion Using a Modified Flow Cytometer.- 8. A Quantitative Cell Adhesion Assay Based on Differential Centrifugation of Bound Cells.- 9. Picoforce Method to Probe Submicroscopic Actions in Biomembrane Adhesion.- 10. Study of Cell-Cell Interactions with the Travelling Microtube.- 11. Analysis of the Motion of Cells Driven Along an Adhesive Surface by a Laminar Shear Flow.- 12. Techniques for Studying Blood Platelet Adhesion.- 13. Interference Reflection Microscopy and Related Microscopies and Cell Adhesion.- 14. Advances Towards the Measurement of Cell Contacts with Surfaces at Near Nanometer Vertical Resolution by Means of Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence.- 15. Electron Microscopical Analysis of Cell-Cell and Cell-Substrate Interactions: Use of Image Analysis, X-Ray Microanalysis and EFTEM.

Cell adhesion is a complex interaction of cells with any surface, such as other cell membranes or tissues. In many physiological and pathological processes the adhesion of a cell is the first critical step. Therefore, the study of cell adhesion may help to better understand these processes or to find ways to influence them.
Researchers will find comprehensible descriptions including a detailed theoretical background of all modern techniques available for the study of cell adhesion.