Tissue engineering approaches for lymphedema: biomaterial innovations and clinical potential
Deshpande P., Dornbrand-Lo M., Phondge V., Kelly P., Wong AK.
Narrative Review, published in Front Cell Dev Biol (2025) — summary generated from the PubMed abstract.
Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.
- Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
- Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
- Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
- Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
- Emerging · Emerging topic under active research
This page is generated from the PubMed record. The Thai description is an automated summary of bibliographic fields and the abstract, not a full translation, and is not medical advice.
- Study type
- Narrative Review
- Journal
- Front Cell Dev Biol (2025)
- Reported sample size
- —
- Source database
- Europe PMC
- PMID
- 40302939
- PMCID
- PMC12037638
- DOI
- 10.3389/fcell.2025.1537050
- Citations
- 1
Abstract (original English)
The lymphatic system plays a critical role in maintaining fluid balance and immune regulation. Lymphedema, and other lymphatic disorders, highlight the need for advanced therapeutic approaches, including tissue engineering. This review examines the latest developments in artificial lymphatic tissue engineering, focusing on scaffold materials, lymphangiogenic factors, and regenerative strategies to replicate the intricacy of lymphatic vessels and nodes. We conducted a thorough literature review of current practices and applications in lymphatic tissue engineering. Findings show that biomaterials such as hydrogels, decellularized matrices, and synthetic polymers provide effective scaffolds for lymphatic endothelial cell proliferation and lymphangiogenesis. Advances in growth factor delivery and stem-cell based therapies have further enhanced the viability of engineered lymphatic tissues. Despite promising progress, challenges in achieving functional replication of lymphatic structures and clinical translation of research remain. Ongoing research must address scaffold biocompatibility, optimized growth factor targeting, and scalable production to advance therapeutic options for lymphatic disorders. This review underscores the potential for transformative patient outcomes through innovative bioengineering solutions.
What this study does not prove
- • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.
- • This is a narrative review: it collects no new patient data and does not systematically appraise evidence quality.
Evidence level
Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.
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