Lymphatic Vascular Growth and Remodeling in Pathophysiology-New Findings and Avenues

Dear Colleagues,

The lymphatic system consists of a network of unidirectional vasculature, with single-layered, permeable initial lymphatics leading to multilayered, larger collecting vessels. Fluid and immune cells are absorbed from these initial lymphatics, propelled by collectors, and sent to immunological filters, known as lymph nodes, where antigens are trapped, immune responses are generated, and clear fluid further mixes with systemic circulation. Thus, the lymphatic system plays a major role in fluid and immune homeostasis. Even though lymphatic vessels were identified several centuries ago, only with the last 2–3 decades has lymphatic research started to grow.

Before the surge in lymphatic research, in earlier years, lymphatic research identified and characterized lymphatic growth factors, and signaling cascades during development and adulthood. Within the last decade or so, more research was also performed to understand the role of lymphatics in lymphedema, cancer, and obesity pathologies. Together, these findings showed that the lymphatic system not only actively drains fluids, immune cells, and lipids but also plays a major role in multiple pathophysiological conditions involving different organ systems such as the heart, the brain, the kidneys, the lungs, the liver, and skin, to mention a few. An impaired lymphatic function has been implicated in several pathologies such as cancer, lymphedema, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, atherosclerosis, inflammation, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, emphysema, chronic obesity, glaucoma, Alzheimer’s disease, and several others. With every year, new aspects related to the lymphatic system are revealed by research but is accompanied by an equal number of intriguing new questions. This wealth of knowledge and the pursuit of answers to these new questions will immensely help develop therapeutic interventions to alter lymphatic function that can pave the way to curing the above mentioned myriad of diseases.

This Special Issue aims to summarize our current progress and to provide a better understanding of the molecular and pathological aspects of lymphatics in different organ systems. This issue also invites cutting-edge research findings that shed light on several unanswered questions that were raised in lymphatic research during the recent decade.

Dr. Raghu P. Kataru
Dr. Esak Lee
Guest Editors

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