Lymphatic vascular specification and its modulation during embryonic development

Despite its essential roles in development and disease, the lymphatic vascular system has been less studied than the blood vascular network. In recent years, significant advances have been made in understanding the mechanisms that regulate lymphatic vessel formation, both during development and in pathological conditions. Remarkably, lymphatic endothelial cells are specified as a subpopulation of pre-existing venous endothelial cells. Here, we summarize the current knowledge of the transcription factor pathways responsible for lymphatic specification and we also focus on the factors that promote or restrict this event.