The lymphatic system is a body-wide network of lymphatic vessels and lymphoid organs. The complexity of the structural and functional organization of the lymphatic system implies the necessity of using computational modeling approaches to unravel the mechanisms of its regulation in quantitative terms. Although it is a vital part of the circulatory and immune systems, the lymphatic system remain...

INTRODUCTION Lymphatic vessels are important for the regulation of tissue fluid homeostasis, immune surveillance and dietary fat absorption (Tammela and Alitalo, 2010). Aberrant lymphatic growth is associated with pathological conditions, including cancer metastasis and chronic inflammation, while a malfunctioning lymphatic system results in lymphoedema (Alitalo, 2011). Fuelled by the identific...

RATIONALE The formation of the blood vasculature is achieved via 2 fundamentally different mechanisms, de novo formation of vessels from endothelial progenitors (vasculogenesis) and sprouting of vessels from pre-existing ones (angiogenesis). In contrast, mammalian lymphatic vasculature is thought to form exclusively by sprouting from embryonic veins (lymphangiogenesis). Alternative nonvenous so...

Lymphangiogenesis is a dynamic process that involves the sprouting of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) from veins to form lymphatic vessels. Vegfr3 signalling, through its ligand Vegfc and the extracellular protein Ccbe1, is essential for the sprouting of LECs to form the trunk lymphatic network. In this study we determined whether Vegfr3, Vegfc and Ccbe1 are also required for development of ...

RATIONALE Lymphatic vasculature constitutes a second vascular system essential for immune surveillance and tissue fluid homeostasis. Maturation of the hierarchical vascular structure, with a highly branched network of capillaries and ducts, is crucial for its function. Environmental cues mediate the remodeling process, but the mechanism that underlies this process is largely unknown. OBJECTIV...

Recent discoveries of novel functions and diverse origins of lymphatic vessels have drastically changed our view of lymphatic vasculature. Traditionally regarded as passive conduits for fluid and immune cells, lymphatic vessels now emerge as active, tissue-specific players in major physiological and pathophysiological processes. Lymphatic vessels show remarkable plasticity and heterogeneity, re...

The concept of using total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) for immunosuppression is based on the prolonged and profound immunosuppressive effects observed after TLI in the treatment of patients with Hodgkin's disease. Pre-operative TLI of allograft recipients has been shown to be immunosuppressive when used alone or together with chemical immunosuppression. Fractionated TLI and allogeneic bone marro...

Avraham T, Yan A, Zampell JC, Daluvoy SV, HaimovitzFriedman A, Cordeiro AP, Mehrara BJ. Radiation therapy causes loss of dermal lymphatic vessels and interferes with lymphatic function by TGF1-mediated tissue fibrosis. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 299: C589 –C605, 2010. First published June 2, 2010; doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00535.2009.—Although radiation therapy is a major risk factor for the developme...

Objective: Medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTCs) invade local lymph node through lymphatic vessels and metastasize to distant organs hematogenously and account for a significant mortality. There are possibly increased lymphatic and venous vessels, through which the tumor spreads to lymph nodes and distant organs. Materials and Methods: By immunocytochemical staining for lymphatic and venous vesse...