New Rochelle, NY, January 6, 2009—Dedicated to the memory and scientific accomplishments of Dr. Judah Folkman, who pioneered the fields of angiogenesis and vasculogenesis and shed light on the link between blood supply and neoplastic disease, the newly released special double issue (Volume 6, Number 3-4) of Lymphatic Research and Biology includes a series of papers that reflect the research impact of one of the pre-eminent physician-scientists of his generation. Lymphatic Research and Biology is a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com). The issue is available free online at www.liebertpub.com/lrb
"Not only did Judah Folkman single-handedly create the research discipline of angiogenesis, he also played a very fundamental role in the extension of the same principles to the field of lymphangiogenesis research," says Stanley G. Rockson, MD, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Lymphatic Research Foundation. Dr. Rockson, who is the Chief of Consultative Cardiology, the Allan and Tina Neill Professor of Lymphatic Research and Medicine, and Director of the Stanford Center for Lymphatic and Venous Disorders, Stanford University School of Medicine, feels that "his impact as a teacher and mentor is almost incalculable, and we are proud to present these contributions by leading scientists whose training and career path directly reflect the impact of Dr. Folkman's work and teaching."
Leah Cueni and Michael Detmar provide an in-depth review of the field in "The Lymphatic System in Health and Disease," and Carrie Shawber and Jan Kitajewski describe "Arterial Regulators Taken Up by Lymphatics." In the paper "Why and How Do Tumors Stimulate Lymphangiogenesis?," Yihai Cao explains the processes behind increased lymphatic supply to cancerous lesions. Dean Felsher explores the phenomena of oncogene addiction, cellular senescence, and the angiogenic switch in a report entitled, "Reversing Cancer From Inside and Out." In a forward-looking review, Steven Stacker and Marc Achen present "From Anti-Angiogenesis to Anti-Lymphangiogenesis: Emerging Trends in Cancer Therapy." A report by Michael Mancuso, Frank Kuhnert, and Calvin Kuo focuses on "Developmental Angiogenesis of the Central Nervous System."