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Updated: Aug 17, 2025
Isolation of Human Lymphatic Endothelial Cells by Multi-parameter Fluorescence-activated Cell Sorting
Published on: May 1, 2015
Networked lymphatic endothelial cells in a transplanted cell sheet contribute to form functional lymphatic vessels
Ayumi Inoue Nagahara1, Jun Homma2, Bikei Ryu3
1Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan.
Abstract:
This study evaluated whether cell sheets containing a network of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) promoted lymphangiogenesis after transplantation in vivo. Cell sheets with a LEC network were constructed by co-culturing LECs and adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) on temperature-responsive culture dishes. A cell ratio of 3:2 (vs. 1:4) generated networks with more branches and longer branch lengths. LEC-derived lymphatic vessels were observed 2 weeks after transplantation of a three-layered cell sheet construct onto rat gluteal muscle. Lymphatic vessel number, diameter and depth were greatest for a construct comprising two ASC sheets stacked on a LEC/ASC (3:2 ratio) sheet. Transplantation of this construct in a rat model of femoral lymphangiectomy led to the formation of functional lymphatic vessels containing both transplanted and host LECs. Further development of this technique may lead to a new method of promoting lymphangiogenesis.
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