Lymphatic vessels in health and disease.

Dec 2012

Kesler CT, Liao S, Munn LL, Padera TP.

Source

E. L. Steele Laboratory, Department of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.

Abstract

The lymphatic vasculature plays vital roles in tissue fluid balance, immune defense, metabolism, and cancer metastasis. In adults, lymphatic vessel formation and remodeling occur primarily during inflammation, development of the corpus luteum, wound healing, and tumor growth. Unlike the blood circulation, where unidirectional flow is sustained by the pumping actions of the heart, pumping actions intrinsic to the lymphatic vessels themselves are important drivers of lymphatic flow. This review summarizes critical components that control lymphatic physiology. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2012. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1201 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.

Wiley OnLine

Overlapping biomarkers, pathways, processes and syndromes in lymphatic development, growth and neoplasia.

Jul 15, 2012

Witte MH, Dellinger MT, Papendieck CM, Boccardo F.

Source

Department of Surgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine, 1501 N. Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ, 85724-5200, USA, lymph@u.arizona.edu.

Keywords:  Biomarkers – Cancer metastasis – Lymphatic development – EMT-MET – Vascular neoplasia – Lymphogenous dissemination

Abstract

Recent discoveries in molecular lymphology, developmental biology, and tumor biology in the context of long-standing concepts and observations on development, growth, and neoplasia implicate overlapping pathways, processes, and clinical manifestations in developmental disorders and cancer metastasis. Highlighted in this review are some of what is known (and speculated) about the genes, proteins, and signaling pathways and processes involved in lymphatic/blood vascular development in comparison to those involved in cancer progression and spread. Clues and conundra from clinical disordersthat mix these processes and mute them, including embryonic rests, multicentric nests of displaced cells, uncontrolled/invasive "benign" proliferation and lymphogenous/hematogenous "spread", represent a fine line between normal development and growth, dysplasia, benign and malignant neoplasia, and "metastasis". Improved understanding of these normal and pathologic processes and their underlying pathomechanisms, e.g., stem cell origin and bidirectional epithelial-mesenchymal transition, could lead to more successful approaches in classification, treatment, and even prevention of cancer and a whole host of other diseases.

Springerlink