Therapy for Secondary Lymphedema

Impairment of the lymphatic vascular anatomy and insufficient lymphatic function cause accumulation of interstitial fluid, leading to chronic swelling of the limbs, or lymphedema. In addition to swelling, the protein-rich interstitial fluid induces an inflammatory reaction, leading to progressive fibrosis, accumulation of adipose tissue, and impaired immune responses and wound healing. In developed countries, cancer therapy, particularly of breast cancer but also gynecologic cancer, is the leading cause of secondary lymphedema. There are approximately 2.4 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. Approximately 42% of breast cancer survivors develop secondary lymphedema within 5 years of their treatment. Lymphedema is a highly prevalent source of morbidity in this country and throughout the world; its treatment interventions are costly, laborious, and of limited efficacy. Currently, there is no FDA approved drug for lymphedema. Thus there is a critical need to develop targeted and efficacious therapeutics for lymphedema. Here we propose to develop and test a novel microsphere based biological against lymphedema which would need to be applied once to produce therapeutic efficacy.