Robust Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into Lymphatic Endothelial Cells Using Transcription Factors.

Introduction: Generating new lymphatic vessels has been postulated as an innovative therapeutic strategy for various disease phenotypes, including neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and lymphedema. Yet, compared to the blood vascular system, protocols to differentiate human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) are still lacking.

Methods: Transcription factors, ETS2 and ETV2 are key regulators of embryonic vascular development, including lymphatic specification.

Synthetic hyaluronic acid coating preserves the phenotypes of lymphatic endothelial cells.

Lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) play a critical role in the formation and maintenance of the lymphatic vasculature, which is essential for the immune system, fluid balance, and tissue repair. However, LECs are often difficult to study and models that accurately mimic their behaviors and phenotypes are limited. In particular, LECs have been shown to lose their lymphatic markers over time while being cultured , which reflect their plasticity and heterogeneity .