Isolation and Purification of Murine Lung Endothelial Cells

Endothelial cells (ECs) regulate angiogenesis in normal and pathological conditions. Isolation and culture of ECs are used for deciphering the underlying mechanisms of vascular-related pathological conditions, and the use of ECs from transgenic mice allows the study of the functional significance of certain proteins upon their lack of expression or mutation status. This protocol describes an efficient method of lung EC isolation from adult mice using magnetic beads and is based on the expression of ICAM-2, a transmembrane endothelial-specific protein. The protocol provides a reliable method for isolating a pure EC population, appropriate for subsequent culture and analysis.