Advances in Lymphatic Biology and Therapeutic Innovations

TOPICAL COLLECTIONS

Guest Editors

Tetsuya Kodama

Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University

Professor Tetsuya Kodama is a biomedical engineer and physician-scientist internationally recognized for his work in lymphatic biology and translational medicine. He trained in physical chemistry at Oxford University, medical physics at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospital Trust, and fluid science at Tohoku University, before advancing his research at Harvard Medical School and Imperial College London. He later played a leading role in establishing the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering at Tohoku University. His laboratory investigates the lymphatic system, focusing on lymph node microenvironments and vascular interactions. The group has pioneered approaches in in vivo and intravital imaging, nanomedicine, and lymphatic-targeted drug delivery. Among their key innovations is the patented Lymphatic Drug Delivery System (LDDS), now in clinical evaluation for cancer and immune-related therapies. His lab also maintains rare recombinant mouse strains carrying collagen-related autoimmune disease genes, enabling studies on immune checkpoint inhibitors and adverse events. As Guest Editor, Professor Kodama contributes deep expertise in lymphatic methodologies and translational applications.

Tsutomu Kume

Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Dr. Tsutomu Kume is a professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. His research focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying lymphatic and vascular development, repair, and disease. His laboratory has significantly advanced the understanding of transcriptional networks and signaling pathways that regulate lymphatic vessel formation, endothelial junction integrity, and interstitial fluid balance. He is widely recognized for pioneering studies establishing the critical roles of FOXC1 and FOXC2 transcription factors in lymphatic development and homeostasis, with broad implications for valve maturation, lymphangiogenesis, and organ regeneration. More recently, his research has revealed how lymphangiocrine signaling promotes intestinal tissue repair and how FOXC1/FOXC2-dependent pathways drive vascular regeneration. His group has also extended these insights to ocular and cardiovascular diseases, including glaucoma and myxomatous mitral valve disease. As Guest Editor, Dr. Kume brings valuable expertise in lymphatic signaling and transcriptional regulation, bridging basic biology with translational insights into lymphatic dysfunction and human diseases.

Yoshiko Kawai

Division of Physiology, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University

Professor Yoshiko Kawai began her career as a plastic surgeon specializing in lymphedema and lymphangioma before transitioning to physiology to advance research on lymphatic system function. She is currently a professor in the Department of Physiology at Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, where her research focuses on microcirculation, particularly lymphatic circulation. Her work includes isolating and culturing human lymphatic endothelial cells to study their molecular mechanisms, as well as functional analysis of GATA2, a key gene in lymphatic vessel development and maintenance. Using genetically modified mice, she investigates lymphatic vessel recanalization after lymph node removal and the role of the GATA gene family in regulating the extracellular environment, including collagen dynamics. Recently, her basic research on recanalization has expanded into clinical collaborations to explore the causes of primary lymphedema and develop therapies for secondary lymphedema. As Guest Editor, she brings expertise bridging basic lymphatic biology with clinical translation.

Collection Overview

The lymphatic system plays a critical role in maintaining tissue fluid balance, immune surveillance, and lipid transport, and its dysfunction is increasingly recognized in a broad spectrum of diseases, ranging from lymphedema and cancer metastasis to inflammatory and cardiovascular disorders. Recent advances in lymphatic biology have uncovered novel molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern lymphatic development, function, and repair, while technological innovations are enabling precise imaging, targeted drug delivery, and bioengineered models to study lymphatic physiology and pathology.

Despite these advances, several challenges remain. Fundamental questions about the regulation of lymphatic remodeling, the heterogeneity of lymphatic endothelial cells, and the interplay between the lymphatic and immune systems remain incompletely understood. Clinically, the translation of experimental findings into effective therapeutic interventions is still limited, hindered by difficulties in modeling human lymphatic diseases, a lack of standardized methods, and insufficient long-term evaluation of emerging treatments.

This Collection aims to bring together diverse contributions that advance the understanding of lymphatic biology and therapeutic strategies. It will feature methods articles detailing established and novel techniques, research articles presenting cutting-edge findings, case reports offering clinical insights, and review articles synthesizing current knowledge and identifying future directions.

The scientific community will benefit from a consolidated resource that not only showcases methodological innovations and clinical applications but also fosters interdisciplinary collaboration. By bridging gaps between fundamental biology and therapeutic innovation, this issue will serve as a catalyst for advancing lymphatic research and improving patient care.