Towards a better understanding of lymph circulation

Olivier STÜCKER*, Catherine PONS-HIMBERT*, and Elisabeth LAEMMEL** *CEROM **Université Paris 7 Paris, France SUMMARY The lymphatic system was for years considered an “accessory” system and was neglected in comparison with the vascular system, which appeared much more crucial. In the last decade, researchers have become interested in lymphatic function since many diseases seem to interact with it (cancer, inflammation, infection, auto-immunity). The lymphatic system is harder to study than its vascular counterpart as its vessels are ill-defined, almost invisible. Intravital microscopy alone correctly visualizes these structures, thus shedding light on their function and quantifying their movements. This paper focuses on…

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