Structure, function, and molecular control of the skin lymphatic system

The mechanisms of angiogenesis have been studied extensively over the past years, The focus, however, has been almost exclusively on blood vessels, wh ereas little effort has been directed toward understanding lymphangiogenesi s and the role of lymphatic vessels in physiology and pathology, The lympha tic system, acting in concert with the blood vascular system, is of fundame ntal importance in maintaining tissue homeostasis, and disorders of the lym phatic system are common, often resulting in chronic, disabling conditions. This overview summarizes the most important aspects of the structure and f unction of the lymphatic system with emphasis on the skin lymphatic vascula ture and the differences between blood and lymphatic vessels. Special atten tion has been given to the methods employed in research of the lymphatic sy stem, Finally, we describe molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of lymphangiogenesis, Vascular endothelial growth factor and vascular endot helial growth factor-C, expressed by distinct skin cell populations, play a n important role in the molecular control of skin angiogenesis and lymphang iogenesis.