Developing Novel Therapies for Treating Breast-Cancer-Related Lymphedema

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Destruction of lymphatic vessels during the treatment of breast cancer by surgery and/or radiation therapy can lead to the development of secondary lymphedema. The breast-cancer-related lymphedema is associated with debilitating limb swelling, chronic inflammation, tissue fibrosis, and increased susceptibility to infection. It has been estimated that approximately 20% of the 2.3 million breast cancer survivors in the US suffer this chronic condition following axillary lymph node dissection and radiation therapy. Current treatments for secondary lymphedema are limited to lifelong physiotherapies, which can cause substantial and even prohibitive financial, physical, and psychological strain for most patients. Clearly, thereis an unmet yet urgent medical need for new approaches to treat lymphedema in breast cancer survivors. Interestingly, recent discoveries have shown that two human hormones-adrenomedullin (ADM) and intermedin (IMD/ADM2)-and their cognate receptors (CL