Conquering Lymphatic Disease - Setting the Research Agend

Witte, Marlys

Abstract

The Conquering Lymphatic Disease: Setting the Research Agenda conference series is a structured """"""""think tank"""""""" approach to collaborative research needed for significant progress in understanding a long-neglected major body system and the spectrum of its disorders. Three conferences are planned: 1) Year 1- Lymphatic Vascular Biology and Lymphedema-Angiodysplasia Syndromes will engage scientists from around the world in exploring and characterizing the state-of-the-art and key unknowns with respect to lymphatic genetics and development, lymphatic physiology and pharmacology, imaging lymphatic structures, and angiogenesis and their implications in the clinical management of lymphatic disorders and cancer; 2) Year 3- The Lymphatic Apparatus as an Integrated/Integrative System will foster adoption of varied basic and clinical research approaches that put the lymphatic system in perspective with regard to other body systems and its impact on the person; 3) Year 5-Building the Collaborative Lymphatic Community will focus on an action plan for bringing dispersed investigational efforts together around coordinated developmental, structural, functional, and restorative studies that make the most effective and efficient use of resources in yielding the research outcomes likely to result in clinical breakthroughs that ameliorate the devastating impact that lymphatic disease has on many millions of individuals and families worldwide. In project years two and four, conference momentum will be enhanced through networking among participants in the first invitational conference, as well as with an enlarging cadre of researchers, clinicians, and patient groups identified over the project period. Coordinating activities will focus on effective use of the Internet through a project Website-CollaboLymph-involving The University of Arizona, Stanford University, Lymphatic Research Foundation, and others. Growing understanding of the lymphatic system's role in overall health and in a broad array of diseases and disabling conditions, including circulatory disorders, cancer, infectious, gastrointestinal, pulmonary and skin diseases, and immunologic and rare genetic disorders, provides the rationale for engaging a number of NIH entities in the project. Thus, the think tank process is expected to bring thoughts into action and to accelerate research findings into improved understanding and enhanced clinical management of lymphatic system disorders.