Ultrastructure of Endothelial Cells In Vitro: An Historical Note

In 1922, Lewis published a study of in vitro plasma clot culture of vascular endothelium. In the 1950-1960s, the use of electron microscopy allowed us to demonstrate the presence in endothelial cells of specific organelles, including plasmalemmal vesicles and Weibel-Palade bodies, and the existence of structural heterogeneity. In 1980, Folkman and Haudenschild demonstrated that capillary endothelial cells can organize themselves in vitro in three-dimensional branching tubular networks. In 1983, Montesano and coworkers demonstrated that when a monolayer of microvascular endothelial cells on the surface of a collagen gel is covered with a second layer of collagen, it reorganizes within a few days into a network of branching and anastomosing tubules.