Segmentation of in-vitro endothelial cell networks

Vasculogenesis is defined as the sprouting of new blood vessels by expansion of the endothelium by proliferation, migration and remodeling. Vasculogenesis is fundamental to wound healing, reproduction as well as embryonic development. Moreover, it is involved in tumor growth, tumor metastasis and other pathological processes. The availability of dedicated image-based analysis systems would constitute an invaluable support in understanding biological phenomena regulating vasculogenesis processes. In this paper we present an unsupervised segmentation technique which allows for accurate classification of blood vessel networks in in-vitro microscopy images. Results achieved through the proposed technique are validated and compared with experimental observations.