The biology & therapeutic manipulation of Lymphatic vessels in cancer & lymphedema

这项提议汇集了一组来自不同背景的研究人员，他们已经在正常生理和癌症中对淋巴系统的分子控制做出了重要发现。淋巴血管系统由器官和组织中的血管网络组成，对组织液体量和免疫功能的调节至关重要。淋巴管对于癌症的转移性扩散也很重要，因为它们为肿瘤细胞扩散到身体的远处提供了一条途径，并且对于淋巴水肿（淋巴功能障碍导致组织肿胀的一种情况）也很重要。本课程将探讨控制淋巴管生长和分化的分子机制。它将极大地增强我们对淋巴管生长（淋巴管生成）的理解，并产生一系列刺激或抑制这一过程的试剂。这些试剂将在动物模型中测试其在癌症和淋巴水肿情况下调节淋巴功能的能力。

This proposal brings together a team of researchers from diverse backgrounds who have already made important discoveries about the molecular control of the lymphatic system in normal physiology and cancer. The lymphatic vasculature consists of a network of vessels in organs and tissues that is critical for the regulation of tissue fluid volume and immune function. The lymphatics are also important for the metastatic spread of cancer, as they provide a route by which tumour cells spread to distant sites in the body, and for lymphedema, a condition in which lymphatic dysfunction leads to swelling of tissues. This program will explore the molecular mechanisms that control the growth and differentiation of the lymphatic vessels. It will greatly enhance our understanding of lymphatic vessel growth (lymphangiogenesis) and generate a range of reagents for stimulating or inhibiting this process. These reagents will be tested in animal models for their capacity to modulate lymphatic function in the context of cancer and lymphedema.