Shan Liao

Lymphedema impacts an estimated 140 million people worldwide. Lymphedema is a condition of uncontrolled fluid accumulation and tissue swelling. Lymphedema can cause discomfort, immobility and organ dysfunction. Edematous tissue in lymphedema is under high risk of infection. Primary lymphedema is caused by genetic defects and is relatively rare. The major cause of lymphedema in the world is lymphatic filariasis. Another important cause of lymphedema is the damage to the lymphatic vessels and LNs associated with cancer and cancer therapies, which impact almost all of the cancer types that involve cancer spread via the lymphatic vessels. Some lymphedema patients exhibit significant body disfigurement and need life long intervention with pressure garments, which cause a huge psycho-social and economic impact on these patients. Currently, there is no cure for lymphedema. Lack of knowledge regarding the regulation of lymph flow has been the barrier for the disease prevention or treatment. Lymphatic vessels maintain fluid balance and transport tissue waste, pathogens and cells to lymph nodes for protection by the immune system. In the lymph node, lymph flow direction determines the time, the location and the cell types that encounter the antigens after an immune stimulation. Our study aims to understand how lymph flow is regulated in healthy and diseased states. We will determine how altered lymph flow affects host immunity in inflammation and cancer. Our work aims to target lymph flow in order to develop potential therapeutic methods to reduce edema, improve host immune protection or anti-tumor immunity.