关键词：医药；治疗技术；淋巴系统；Anti-VEGF-A
摘 要：Despite intense research efforts, cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States. Mortality is seldom caused by primary tumors, but rather by the effect of metastases on distant organs. The lymphatic system serves as a common route of metastasis for many cancers of epithelial origin. There is growing evidence that lymphangiogenesis, the sprouting of new lymphatics from pre-existing lymphatics, facilitates the dissemination of cancer. Interestingly, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) signaling has been shown to stimulate lymphangiogenesis in adult mice. However, the role VEGFR2 serves in the development of the lymphatic system has not been defined. Here we use the Cre-lox system to show that the proper development of the lymphatic vasculature requires VEGFR2 expression by lymphatic endothelium. This newly identified function of VEGFR2 further defines the molecular pathways controlling the development of the lymphatic vasculature and sheds light on how therapeutic agents targeting VEGFR2 can inhibit tumor lymphangiogenesis.