Contribution of lymphatic endothelial progenitor cells to lymphangiogenesis

Lymphangiogenesis has important effects on embryonic development,wounding repair,inflammation turnover,tumor lymphatic metastasis and immunological rejection after organ transplantation.Besides endothelial cells of the existing lymphatic vessels,lymphatic endothelial progenitor cells(LEPCs)contribute to lymphangiogenesis and express CD34,CD133 and VEGFR-3.The cells in bone marrow are mobilized into peripheral blood by chemotatic factors and then home to local tissue.Under induction of growth factors such as VEGF-C,LEPCs differentiate into lymphatic endothelial cells and participate in lymphangiogenesis.VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 signaling pathway plays a key mediating role in LEPC differentiation and lymphangiogenesis.Therefore,VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 may be targets for gene therapy.With interfering LEPC differentiation,lymphangiogenesis may be promoted or inhibited.It implicates in exploring tumor lymphatic metastasis and survival of the transplanted organs to elucidate effects of LEPCs on lymphangiogenesis.