The crucial role of macrophages in lymphangiogenesis
J. Clin. Invest. Dontscho Kerjaschki, et al. 115:2316 doi:10.1172/JCI26354 [
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Figure 1Lymphangiogenesis: a split path for monocytes/macrophages. A subfraction of naive blood-borne monocytes constitutively express VEGFR-3
on their surface. It has been proposed that these monocytes emigrate from blood vessels and then follow 2 different pathways. Pathway A (green arrows): Monocytes are exposed to TNF-α and/or other proinflammatory agents in the (peritumoral) stroma and are converted into VEGF-C_
secreting macrophages that presumably induce proliferation of lymphatic endothelial cells. Pathway B (red arrows): In this issue of the
JCI, Maruyama et al. (
10) describe how, in a mouse corneal transplant model, macrophages transdifferentiate into lymphatic endothelial cells by forming cell aggregates and vesicles that integrate into an existing lymphatic vessel.
