Abstract
Lymphatic Education & Research Network Announces First Centers of Excellence
A long-sought goal, representing decades of effort, was recently achieved as Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN) announced the establishment of the first Centers of Excellence in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Lymphatic Diseases. A team consisting of leaders in lymphatic medicine from Stanford, Harvard, USC, University of Chicago, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and UT Health created the initial draft of standards of care for lymphatic diseases (LDs). Prof. Peter Mortimer (St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom) and Melissa Aldrich, PhD (UT Health, TX) led further review through a Global Oversight Committee made up of 14 LD leaders from around the world. This committee rigorously vetted center applications to guarantee compliance with set standards for five distinct categories of care. Visit the LE&RN website (www.LymphaticNetwork.org) for the most up-to-date information on these designations and the named institutions.
Centers of Excellence Online Summit: State of the Art Lymphatic Medicine, October 2–3
Stanford University (Stan Rockson, MD, lead organizer) and LE&RN will present the symposium Centers of Excellence Summit: State of the Art Lymphatic Medicine on October 2–3, 2020. The symposium will be exclusively available through Zoom worldwide. CME credits will be available. The content of the symposium will be published in a dedicated issue of Lymphatic Research & Biology. Check the LE&RN website for updates and registration: (www.lymphaticnetwork.org).
Researchers Lobby for National Lymphatic Commission
Beginning in June, researchers have joined LE&RN National Spokesperson Kathy Bates, President and CEO William Repicci, and lymphatic patients on calls to influential United States Senate and House Health Appropriations and Department of Defense Committee Members. Stanley Rockson, MD, and Tim Padera, PhD, have represented the research community in LE&RN's effort to establish a National Lymphatic Commission to study the need for lymphatic research NIH-wide. These lobbying efforts also focus on getting LDs designated as a fundable category in the Department of Defense's Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program. Calls to Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Roy Blunt, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, and Rep. Tom Cole have found firm support. All legislators are being presented with a letter supporting this agenda and signed by >150 researchers who attended the Lymphatics Gordon Research Conference in March 2020.
Symposium Series
As the world has moved online, LE&RN Symposiums have become even more sought after. We have now added LE&RN Corporate Symposiums to allow LE&RN Corporate Sponsors to connect with their customers and to provide needed information during this time. All LE&RN Symposiums can be found on LE&RN's website at (https://lymphaticnetwork.org/video-resources).
LE&RN-Funded Research in the News
Dr. Esak Lee, a 2016 LE&RN Fellow, made news for his lymphedema research. Fellowships and other research awards funded by LE&RN Supporting Members are critical in furthering our understanding of LE and LD, developing new treatments, and ultimately finding cures. Read more about Dr. Lee's research here: www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/12/lymph-vessels-chip-reveal-possible-new-drug-target-lymphedema.
LE&RN Creates Lymphatic Researcher Database for NIH
At NIH's request, LE&RN has created a Lymphatic Researcher Database (https://lymphaticnetwork.org/treating-lymphedema/researchers) to keep NIH informed of the lymphatic research being pursued worldwide. LE&RN now needs all lymphatic researchers to submit information for this webpage by contacting LE&RN at LERN@LymphaticNetwork.org. Research names, institutions, Pub Med weblinks, and brief research descriptions will appear on this page, searchable by name, institution, or topic. All 27 NIH Institutes and Centers have been provided this weblink. This initiative grew out of the efforts of the Trans-NIH Lymphatics Coordinating Committee.
LE&RN Offers Free CME Access to LR&B Subscribers
LE&RN has offered LR&B subscribers free access to LE&RN's seven-credit Physician CME: Lymphatic-Vascular Disease: Diagnosis & Treatment. Just use code LR&BFREE20. Read more about LE&RN CME Seminars here: https://lymphaticnetwork.org/treating-lymphedema/cme-seminars.
William Repicci
President and CEO
Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN)