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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 May 1.
Published in final edited form as: Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2009 Mar 5;29(5):650–656. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.109.185066

Figure 1. Stepwise process of lymphangiogenesis.

Figure 1

The development of the lymphatic vasculature begins with specification of lymphatic endothelial cells from venous precursors. The chemoattractant and growth promoting properties of numerous growth factors, including VEGFC, causes lymphatic endothelial cells to sprout and separate from veins to form primitive lymph sacs. Proliferation of lymph sacs leads to the formation of a primary lymphatic plexus which is later remodeled into the mature lymphatic vascular system. Below each step is a list of genes for which a functional role has been demonstrated using genetically engineered mouse models.