Immunomagnetic isolation of endothelial cells from normal rat prostate tissue

Angiogenesis, or the process of the formation of new blood vessels, is an essential event for the successful growth of tumors in vivo. The discovery of agents which inhibit angiogenesis has been limited by the lack of available experimental endothelial cell systems which mimic specific organ- or tumor-derived endothelial cells. It is well recognized that there are measurable functional and morphological differences between normal tissue endothelium and tumor vessels, however, the cause of these differences remains unclear. We report here a technique for tissue specific endothelial cell isolation from the rat prostate utilizing immunomagnetic techniques, providing a tool for the study of endothelial cells and their inhibition.