Growth factor regulation of lymphangiogenesis

Sun, 06 Aug 2006 00:00:00 +0000

All cells in our body need oxygen and they receive it via the circulating blood. That’s why the vascular system is the first organ system to function in a developing embryo. Before the heart starts pumping, the embryo’s need for oxygen has to be met by diffusion alone. But diffusion is sufficient only until the embryo reaches a size of several millimetres. Tumours face the same problem, when reaching a similar size. Both the developing embryo and the solid tumor can only continue growing if they manage to establish a circulatory system that supplies them with oxygen and nutrients. While cancer depends on the pathological growth of blood vessels, other diseases are caused by insufficient vascular function. E.g. in cardiovascular disease the blood vessels cannot deliver enough oxygen to the heart muscle. Apart from the cardiovascular system there is another vascular system: the lymphatic system. It functions mainly in tissue drainage and immune defense against pathogens. Similar to the cardiovascular function, the lymphatic system plays an important role in several diseases. E.g. in lymphedema patients suffer from swollen limbs because lymphatic vessels are absent or not functioning properly. And the spread of cancer (“metastasis”) seems to be intimately related to the lymphatic system as the cancer cells use the lymphatic vessels as pathways to travel within the body.

Edema on Michael’s Domain

Growth factor regulation of lymphangiogenesis