Cross talks between the immune and lymphatic endothelial cells regulate inflammatory lymph node lymphangiogenesis: defining a new therapeutic approach

Introduction The lymphatic system serves as the primary route for the metastasis of many cancers and the extent of lymphangiogenesis involvement is the most important indicator of tumor aggressiveness. Despite the apparent importance of the lymphatic vessels for tumor dissemination, it has remained unclear whether immune cells and lymphatic endothelial cells interactions may affect tumor progression and metastasis. Recent evidences indicate regulation of lymph node lymphangiogenesis by T lymphocytes. However, the nature of the T cells involved and the nature of the immune response in inflammatory lymph node lymphangiogenesis are still unveiled. We therefore characterized the nature of the inflammatory response in inflammatory lymph node lymphangiogenesis.