• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.533-538
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• 2021

Objective: Pluripotent stem cell-derived lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) show great promise in their therapeutic application in the field of regenerative medicine related to lymphatic vessels. We tested the approach of forced differentiation of mouse embryonal stem cells into LECs using biodegradable poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanospheres in conjugation with growth factors (vascular endothelial growth factors [VEGF-A and VEGF-C]). Methods: We evaluated the practical use of heparin-conjugated PLGA nanoparticles (molecular weight ~15,000) in conjugation with VEGF-A/C, embryoid body (EB) formation, and LEC differentiation using immunofluorescence staining followed by quantification and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Results: We showed that formation and differentiation of EB with VEGF-A/C-conjugated PLGA nanospheres, compared to direct supplementation of VEGF-A/C to the EB differentiation media, greatly improved yield of LYVE1(+) LECs. Our analyses revealed that the enhanced potential of LEC differentiation using VEGF-A/C-conjugated PLGA nanospheres was mediated by elevation of expression of the genes that are important for lymphatic vessel formation. Conclusion: Together, we not only established an improved protocol for LEC differentiation using PLGA nanospheres but also provided a platform technology for the mechanistic study of LEC development in mammals.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.7
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• pp.503-510
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• 2014

Lymphatic vessels provide essential roles in maintaining fluid homeostasis and lipid absorption. Dysfunctions of the lymphatic vessels lead to debilitating pathological conditions, collectively known as lymphedema. In addition, lymphatic vessels are a critical moderator for the onset and progression of diverse human diseases including metastatic cancer and obesity. Despite their clinical importance, there is no currently effective pharmacological therapy to regulate functions of lymphatic vessels. Recent efforts to manipulate the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-C (VEGFC) pathway, which is arguably the most important signaling pathway regulating lymphatic endothelial cells, to alleviate lymphedema yielded largely mixed results, necessitating identification of new targetable signaling pathways for therapeutic intervention for lymphedema. Zebrafish, a relatively new model system to investigate lymphatic biology, appears to be an ideal model to identify novel therapeutic targets for lymphatic biology. In this review, we will provide an overview of our current understanding of the lymphatic vessels in vertebrates, and discuss zebrafish as a promising in vivo model to study lymphatic vessels.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.270-274
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• 2014

Lymphatic vessels are essential to regulate interstitial fluid homeostasis and diverse immune responses. A number of crucial factors, such as VEGFC, SOX18, PROX1, FOX2C, and GJC2, have been implicated in differentiation and/or maintenance of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). In humans, dysregulation of these genes is known to cause lymphedema, a debilitating condition which adversely impacts the quality of life of affected individuals. However, there are no currently available pharmacological treatments for lymphedema, necessitating identification of additional factors modulating lymphatic development and function which can be targeted for therapy. In this report, we investigate the function of genes associated with Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) signaling in lymphatic development using zebrafish embryos. The knock-down of BMP type II receptors, Bmpr2a and Bmpr2b, and type I receptors, Alk3 and Alk3b, as well as SMAD5, an essential cellular mediator of BMP signaling, led to distinct lymphatic defects in developing zebrafish. Therefore, it appears that each constituent of the BMP signaling pathway may have a unique function during lymphatic development. Taken together, our data demonstrate that BMP signaling is essential for normal lymphatic vessel development in zebrafish.