The lymphatic system, which is essential for life, is part of the circulatory system. The main functions performed by the lymphatic system include the maintenance of the interstitial fluid homeostasis, immunosurveillance and absorption of dietary fat in the intestine. In terms of pathology, any morphological or functional alterations in these lymphatic vessels can lead to the occurrence of disorders such as lymphedema, tumor metastasis and inflammation. Lymphedema is characterized by many features such as fluid accumulation, chronic and disabling swelling of the extremities, tissue fibrosis, subcutaneous fat accumulation, poor immune function, impaired wound healing, and susceptibility to infection. In a tumor microenvironment, lymphatic vessels can provide efficient routes by which disseminating cancer cells are able to invade lymph nodes and distant organs, and by which lymphangiogenesis in such a context has been associated with immunosuppression or immune tolerance. Lymphatic function is also vital during inflammatory processes and immune responses that occur in the body. Regarding the tissue-specific specialization of lymphatic vessels, studies have recently described their remarkable plasticity, heterogeneity and organ-specific functions. Additionally, lymphatic vessels have been shown to be involved in other pathological conditions such as cardiovascular disorders, obesity, aging, glaucoma, Crohn’s disease and many other neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, by deepening our understanding of the underlying cellular and molecular processes of lymphatic vessel formation involved in many of the abovementioned disorders, we can address the urgent need to develop and implement new therapeutical approaches in the field.
The purpose of this Research Topic is to highlight the importance of lymphatic vessels in physiology, to investigate how morphological or functional abnormalities are linked to numerous pathologies and ultimately to showcase the need to further develop novel targeted therapies for life-threatening diseases. We also aim to cover the new technologies (i.e. omics approaches), models, methodologies and imaging techniques that have allowed important discoveries in the lymphatic field in the last decades.
For this Research Topic, we invite authors to submit Original Research articles, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Methods, Protocols, Perspective and Technology Report articles from novel basic and translational research that aims to decipher the cellular and molecular processes underlying lymphatic function and dysfunction to pave the way to new therapeutical approaches and interventions. We welcome studies that provide scientific advances on the following subtopics, but not limited to:
• Tumor-associated lymphangiogenesis.
• Lymphedema.
• Lymphatic malformations.
• Lymphatic vessels in immunity, neurological diseases, cardiovascular disorders, obesity, aging, glaucoma and Crohn’s disease.
The lymphatic system, which is essential for life, is part of the circulatory system. The main functions performed by the lymphatic system include the maintenance of the interstitial fluid homeostasis, immunosurveillance and absorption of dietary fat in the intestine. In terms of pathology, any morphological or functional alterations in these lymphatic vessels can lead to the occurrence of disorders such as lymphedema, tumor metastasis and inflammation. Lymphedema is characterized by many features such as fluid accumulation, chronic and disabling swelling of the extremities, tissue fibrosis, subcutaneous fat accumulation, poor immune function, impaired wound healing, and susceptibility to infection. In a tumor microenvironment, lymphatic vessels can provide efficient routes by which disseminating cancer cells are able to invade lymph nodes and distant organs, and by which lymphangiogenesis in such a context has been associated with immunosuppression or immune tolerance. Lymphatic function is also vital during inflammatory processes and immune responses that occur in the body. Regarding the tissue-specific specialization of lymphatic vessels, studies have recently described their remarkable plasticity, heterogeneity and organ-specific functions. Additionally, lymphatic vessels have been shown to be involved in other pathological conditions such as cardiovascular disorders, obesity, aging, glaucoma, Crohn’s disease and many other neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, by deepening our understanding of the underlying cellular and molecular processes of lymphatic vessel formation involved in many of the abovementioned disorders, we can address the urgent need to develop and implement new therapeutical approaches in the field.
The purpose of this Research Topic is to highlight the importance of lymphatic vessels in physiology, to investigate how morphological or functional abnormalities are linked to numerous pathologies and ultimately to showcase the need to further develop novel targeted therapies for life-threatening diseases. We also aim to cover the new technologies (i.e. omics approaches), models, methodologies and imaging techniques that have allowed important discoveries in the lymphatic field in the last decades.
For this Research Topic, we invite authors to submit Original Research articles, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Methods, Protocols, Perspective and Technology Report articles from novel basic and translational research that aims to decipher the cellular and molecular processes underlying lymphatic function and dysfunction to pave the way to new therapeutical approaches and interventions. We welcome studies that provide scientific advances on the following subtopics, but not limited to:
• Tumor-associated lymphangiogenesis.
• Lymphedema.
• Lymphatic malformations.
• Lymphatic vessels in immunity, neurological diseases, cardiovascular disorders, obesity, aging, glaucoma and Crohn’s disease.