Understanding the critical role of the lymphatic system
Pierre-Yves von der Weid, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, is a member of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases and the Inflammation Research Network (IRN). He leads the Lymphedema Research and Education Program at University of Calgary and co-leads ALNET, an Alberta-wide network of researchers and clinicians driven to find a cure for lymphedema.
AQWhat prompted your interest in doing research on lymphedema?
I have a research training background in vascular physiology, and I used electrophysiology and pharmacology to understand how blood vessels regulate blood flow in response to changes in blood pressure. It was during a presentation by an Australian researcher that I was exposed to the lymphatic system for the first time. I was so fascinated and intrigued to see lymphatic vessels rhythmically contract that I decided to join his team to investigate the underlying mechanism of lymphatic vessels pumping, an area of research almost unexplored at the time. Using lymphatic vessels isolated from rodents, we studied how they responded to various drugs and physiological mediators. We demonstrated the critical role of the lymphatic endothelium in the regulation of lymph flow. With my increased understanding of these mechanisms came a new appreciation of the importance of the lymphatic system in physiology and disease processes.
QHow has the focus of your research shifted over time?
AI realized more research had to be done on the functions of the lymphatic system. This new shift happened when I joined the University of Calgary and the Inflammation Research Network and started contemplating the importance of the lymphatic system and lymph drainage in situations of inflammation. As obvious as it is now, this concept was then underappreciated and understudied. I investigated how lymphatic pumping was regulated by mediators of inflammation, and in animal models of intestinal inflammation.
You may say that I worked on the lymphatic system but not on lymphedema! I would argue that understanding how the lymphatic system behaves during inflammation is indeed just that. I strongly believe that lymphedema is a chronic inflammatory disease. Understanding how inflammation in the edematous limb affects lymphatic function and how lymphatic dysfunction promotes inflammation is paramount in identifying what goes wrong in lymphedema.
While I am a strong proponent of the idea that only basic research leads to fundamental medical discoveries, lymphedema sufferers made me realize that all research needs a purpose, and finding a cure for lymphedema is a necessary one. The moving and inspirational stories from the lymphedema patient community helped define that for me.
My next shift in focus occurred when two philanthropists from Edmonton, Dianne and
Irving Kipnes, approached me with the idea to make a donation to promote research towards finding a cure for lymphedema. Thanks to their generosity, we established the Lymphedema Research and Education Program at the University of Calgary and expanded our research horizon. We acquired sophisticated microscopes, which are helping us to work toward our goal to image the lymphatic system.
QWhat is the overall aim of your research?
AWe are trying to understand how the lymphatic system works and demonstrate the critical role it plays in many diseases. We want to study the multiple components involved in the etiology of lymphedema, such as impairment of the lymphatic vessels and the lymphatic system in general, inflammation, infection, fluid drainage, fat accumulation and fibrosis, in order to understand the causes of their dysfunctions and define a way to correct the problems.
AQWhat types of research methods do you use?
To reach this goal, we use molecular biology, biochemistry, immunology, pharmacology and physiology techniques in combination with live imaging of the lymphatic system in animal models of inflammation and lymphedema. LP
To learn more: www.ucalgary.ca/irn/faculty/ pierreyvesvonderweid or www.lymphaticresearchab.com
Fall 2017 L ymphedemapathways.ca 23 Researchers Profile
The von der Weid and Liao labs on their annual hiking day.