Lymph Vessels in Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease

Obesity and cardiovascular disease are leading causes of death and disability in the developed nations. Current treatments for these diseases target biological processes involving the heart, blood vessels, and other organs directly affected. Although such treatments have improved outcomes, the development of new therapies requires the identification and validation of new pathogenetic mechanisms. The lymphatic vascular system is required to maintain tissue fluid balance, to absorb intestinal fats and to coordinate immune responses. In the past, the biological roles of lymphatic vessels were considered distinct from those of blood vessels, but recent studies by the members of this network and others suggest that lymphatic vessel function impacts directly on obesity, vessel wall inflammation, atherosclerosis and thrombosis. In this proposal we will determine how lymphatic malfunction promotes these conditions and their impact in cardiovascular disease.