Lymphedema – News & Researchs, reworking the lymphology
The lymphology based upon the researchs of Dr. M. Földi undertaken in the years 1980-1990 is currently being reworked and adapted on the basis of news study results and the use of high power magnification microscope in lymphedema-surgery.
Newly discovered lymphatics in the brain have been reworking the field of lymphology.
A merely accidental discovery in 2015 spread all around the world and reworked the current anatomy of the lymphatics.
Antoine Louveau , scientist of the Unniversity of Virginia, carried out studies on t cells of the immune system. Therefore he used a specific preparation method for conserving the hard celebral membran. He was astonnished to find the t-cells arranged in lymphatic vessels!
The newly discovered lymphatics are located rigth behind the veine vessels in the harden celbral membran (dura mater).
Surgery on lymphatics and lymph nodes
The german surgeon Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Baumeister carried out 1980 for the worldwide first time the transplantation of lymphatic vessels, . He implanted the lympathic which he harvested from the patient’s healthy tissue in order to bypass the lymphatic obstruction. Since the last fesw years this technique is being developed further by Dr. G. Feldmerer, University of Göttingen. This tecnique is known as lymphatic grafting or lymphatic-lymphatic reconstructive microsurgery.
Whereas in Germany the transplantation of entire lymph vessels is favorised, in Asia the lymhatic-venous anastomosis-technique is more popular. Therefore, for improving the drainage lymph vessels are connected with a adjacent veine. The Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan is specialised in this technique. For further information please check out the homepage of Chang-Gung Memorial Hospitals in Taiwan.
Since 2015 the Institut der Plastischen Chirurgie of Universitässpital of Zürich offers surgeries based on lymphatic-venous anastomosis technique (using the method of the Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital) as well as lymphnode-transplantations.
Dr. Corinne Becker, Paris, is the pionier of Autologous Lymph Nodes Transfers. The reimplantation of some lymph nodes to reestablish the connections between the remaining nodes and vessels. As healthy nodes contain a natural lymphatic growing hormone, they promote the development of new vessels. For more information please check out the website of Dr. C. Becker: wwwlymphoedemacenter.com
Drug therapy for lymphedema
Right now there is no cure or drug therapy for lymphedema.
Dr. Stanley Rockson, Professor of Standford University he and his colleagues are carrying out a new study to get a clearer understanding of the molecular mechanism that drive lymphedema. During the procedere they came accross a drug called bestatin, which has been used for years in Japan as a cancer treatment.
The researchers found that the drug prevented tissue injury and fluidy buildup by blocking a protein. The buildup of lymph fluid is actually an inflammatory response within the tissue of the skin, not merely a “plumbing” problem within the lymphatic system, as previously thought.
“Based on the lab findings, a clinical trial testing bestatin against lymphedema is already underway ” (Science Translational Medicine, March 17).
For getting further information please check out the very interesting lecture of Dr. Sidney Rockson “News and emerging treatments”
A collection of worldwike news about Lymphedema
The support group Lymphielife (USA) offers a good overwiev of the greates news and research studies round about the lymphedema on its blog. Check it out: www.thelymphielife.com
Also an exciting blog: lymphosaurus rex on https://lymphosaurusrex.wordpress.com/