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Comment
. 2012 Feb 15;31(4):781-2.
doi: 10.1038/emboj.2011.484. Epub 2012 Feb 15.

Lymphatics thrive on stress: mechanical force in lymphatic development

Martin A Schwartz  1 , Michael Simons
Affiliations
Comment

Lymphatics thrive on stress: mechanical force in lymphatic development

Martin A Schwartz et al. EMBO J. .

Abstract

EMBO J 31 4, 788–804 (2012); published online December 13 2011

The arteries, veins, capillaries and lymphatic vessels that comprise the vertebrate vascular system function to transport blood and lymphatic fluid to and from the tissues. It is therefore unsurprising that development, maintenance and physiology of these structures are strongly influenced by mechanical forces such as pressure and fluid shear stress associated with fluid flow (Hahn and Schwartz, 2008; Culver and Dickinson, 2010). Both embryonic morphogenesis and adult homeostasis of blood vessels appear to be organized so that vessel dimensions are matched to tissue demand. The accompanying paper from Planas-Paz et al (2011) elegantly demonstrates that a similar principle operates for lymphatic development as well.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Force-dependent lymphatic growth. Fluid leaking out of newly formed arteries swells the tissue and stretches nascent lymphatic vessels (A, B). Lymphatic endothelial cells subsequently proliferate and enlarge the lymphatics, which can drain the excess fluid from the tissues (C).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment on

  • Mechanoinduction of lymph vessel expansion.
    Planas-Paz L, Strilić B, Goedecke A, Breier G, Fässler R, Lammert E. Planas-Paz L, et al. EMBO J. 2012 Feb 15;31(4):788-804. doi: 10.1038/emboj.2011.456. Epub 2011 Dec 13. EMBO J. 2012. PMID: 22157817 Free PMC article.

References

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