# Mitigation of lymphatic injury by retinoic acid therapyin a large animal model

> **NIH NIH R03** · BECKMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE/CITY OF HOPE · 2021 · $88,000

## Abstract

Lymphedema is an incurable condition characterized by lymphatic obstruction, tissue swelling, immune
dysfunction, and fibrosis after lymphatic injury. Lymphedema affects 5 million Americans and is associated with
poor quality of life due to extremity disability, disfigurement, and risk for recurrent limb-threatening infection. In
the US, lymphedema is most commonly a consequence of lymph node dissection for the treatment of malignancies
such as breast or pelvic tumors. Once established, this disease is progressive and difficult to treat. We have
previously demonstrated that administration of 9-cis retinoic acid (9-cis RA) at the time of lymphatic injury can
stimulate lymphangiogenesis and mitigate disease progression in mice. A critical step in translating these findings
to the clinical setting involves demonstrating efficacy in a second, non-rodent, large animal model. To address this,
we have chosen swine due to the fact that it has soft tissue anatomy and physiology that is more similar to human
than rodent models. While the central goal of this proposal will be to determine if 9-cis RA can prevent
postsurgical lymphedema in swine, the two specific aims of this proposal include Aim 1: To determine the effect of
9-cis RA on limb volume, MRI characteristics, and lymphatic transport after critical lymphatic injury in swine; and
Aim 2: To assess the effect of 9-cis RA on the histopathological and molecular changes in tissues at the site of
critical lymphatic injury in swine. Completion of this proposal will yield highly relevant and translatable findings
that will facilitate development of a 9-cis RA based therapeutic approach to prevention and management of
secondary lymphedema in humans.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10452437
- **Project number:** 7R03HL154300-02
- **Recipient organization:** BECKMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE/CITY OF HOPE
- **Principal Investigator:** Alex K. Wong
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $88,000
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10452437

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10452437, Mitigation of lymphatic injury by retinoic acid therapyin a large animal model (7R03HL154300-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10452437. Licensed CC0.

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