Angiogenesis Assays
A Critical Appraisal of Current Techniques
Chapter One
Endothelial cell biology
Femke Hillen, Veerle Melotte, Judy R. van Beijnum and Arjan W. Griffioen
Abstract
Vascular endothelial cells are organized as a thin layer on the interior surface of all
vessels and are known to function in a variety of important physiological processes.
The interactions of endothelial cells with other cells and with the extracellular matrix
are crucial in endothelial cell functions such as the initiation of coagulation,
leukocyte adhesion and the selection of a leukocyte infiltrate, the angiogenesis
cascade, and transport of molecules through the vessel wall by active or passive
mechanisms. This chapter highlights these processes and describes endothelial cells,
their heterogeneity, various isolation techniques and their use in in vitro models.
Keywords
endothelial cell morphology; endothelial cell functions; angiogenesis; isolation and
culture; heterogeneity
1.1 Introduction
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