Which type of endothelial cell is best suited for studying angiogenesis?

The study of angiogenesis has been significantly advanced by the ability to culture endothelial cells in vitro. Initially large vessel ECs such as those isolated from the human umbilical vein (HUVEC) were used for these studies but increasingly it has been recognized that microvascular endothelial cells are a more appropriate model since angiogenesis involves microvessels rather than large vessel ECs.