Engineered Tissues to Quantify Collective Cell Migration During Morphogenesis

Renal development is a complex process involving the dynamic interplay of over 25 different cell types. One distinct step in this process is the formation of the ureteric tree, which develops from the repeated branching of the ureteric bud. During branching of the ureteric bud, cells migrate collectively in unison to form the complex structure of the tree. Here, we present a microlithography-based 3D culture model in which multiple identical kidney epithelial tissues are used to quantify collective cell migration during the process of branching morphogenesis.