The Gene for Lymphatic Vessels

In early online publication in Nature, researchers show that the transcription factor Sox18 induces development of the lymphatic vasculature in mice. Australian and Italian scientists used a range of assays to show that Sox18 acts as a molecular switch and causes differentiation of lymphatic endothelial cells. The team will now focus on finding genes regulated by Sox18 and determining how this regulation occurs, reports this story in Medical News Today. "If we know how to prevent lymphatic vessels from forming, then we will be a lot closer to halting the spread of tumors through the body. Conversely, if we know how to stimulate the formation of these vessels, then it might be possible to treat diseases such as lymphedema," lead author Peter Koopman says.