Introduction
Benedikt Weber, Satoshi Hirakawa and Michael Detmar Vascular Biology
Chapter Contents
Structure and Function of the Cutaneous Lymphatic
Key features
Cutaneous blood vessels and lymphatic vessels play essential roles in skin inflammation, wound healing, and tumor progression
Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and placental growth factor (PlGF) are major skin angiogenesis factors
The expression of VEGF and PlGF by keratinocytes is upregu- lated in psoriasis, healing wounds, and cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas
VEGF-C and VEGF-D induce skin lymphangiogenesis via interaction with VEGF receptor-3 on lymphatic endothelium
Mutations in several genes including FLT4, which encodes VEGF receptor-3, have been identified in congenital lymphedema
Therapeutic modulation of angiogenesis is of increasing interest for anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and chronic wound therapies