Abstract
Congressional Support for Lymphatic Research
We are pleased to report that the United States Senate has included the following appropriations committee report language in the Committee Reports 112th Congress (2011–2012) Senate Report 112-176 Departments of Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriation Bill, 2013 OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR. Lymphatic Research and Lymphatic Disease—-The Committee commends the trans-NIH Coordinating Committee for Lymphatic Research [CCLR] for its efforts. As the Committee has previously requested, more oversight and engagement are needed by the Director and ICs to help make meaningful advances in research of the lymphatic system and medical care for lymphatic diseases. Furthermore, in keeping with the 2007 CCLR Working Group recommendations, the Committee urges the CCLR to work cooperatively to create interdisciplinary programs to train new investigators, such as an annual primer course for doctoral and postdoctoral candidates. The Committee also expects greater involvement by NIBIB, especially in carrying forth the CCLR Working Group quantitative and molecular imaging recommendations. Finally, the Committee urges NCATS to provide representation to the CCLR.
National Lymphatic Disease and Lymphedema Registry
The National Lymphatic Disease and Lymphedema Registry, which has been enrolling patients since September 2010 with great success, is on the threshold of unveiling the National Lymphatic Disease and Lymphedema Tissue Bank in cooperation with the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, the research branch of the North Shore-LIJ Health System. The registry will be linked to a tissue bank, in which tissue and blood samples derived from patients will be made available for research into human disease states. A national patient registry and tissue/cell bank program paves the way for future clinical trials of experimental drugs and therapies designed to treat lymphatic disease.