Dr Jonathan Astin from the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology and Professor Anthony Phillips from the School of Biological Sciences have received $959 000 from Marsden to study a novel pathway involved in lymphatic vessel regeneration.
Their project is focused on identifying new therapeutic strategies for lymphoedema, an incurable condition that results in the painful and debilitating accumulation of lymph in tissues. Secondary lymphoedema, caused by incomplete lymphatic vessel regeneration following vessel injury, is a significant survivorship issue following treatment for many cancers. Following lymph node removal, insufficient lymphatic vessel repair leads to lymphatic dysfunction and cancer-associated secondary lymphoedema. Currently, there is almost no information about how lymphatic vessels repair.
To help solve this, they developed a novel zebrafish assay of lymphatic repair that allows, for the first time, a detailed examination of lymphatic repair in a live animal. They used this novel assay to identify a new pathway that enhances lymphatic repair. They will determine the therapeutic value of this pathway and the mechanisms regulating lymphatic repair.