Stanford University Announces ARPA-H Award for the Development of Technology to Prevent Lymphedema After Cancer Surgery

Tiny Device Aims to Prevent a Life-Altering Disease Affecting Millions of Cancer Survivors

Researchers at Stanford University, working in collaboration with investigators at Imperial College London, and Harvard, Yale, and Rutgers Universities, have been awarded funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), through its Groundbreaking Lymphatic Interventions and Drug Exploration (GLIDE) program, to develop a new, low-cost implantable technology designed to prevent lymphedema. GLIDE is led by ARPA-H Program Manager, Kimberley Steele, M.D., Ph.D.

The five-year research initiative aims to create a small implantable device that can be paired with therapeutic agents to facilitate the regeneration of lymphatic vessels and thereby prevent chronic lymphedema. The implant, measuring approximately one-half centimeter, would be placed at the site of lymphatic injury during cancer surgery. Several of these devices could be inserted in a single recipient, adding merely ten additional minutes to the primary surgical procedure.

Lymphedema remains one of the most common and debilitating long-term complications of cancer treatment. Despite major advances in cancer care, an estimated 15 to 40 percent of cancer patients develop lymphedema, including nearly one in three breast cancer survivors.

“This work represents an exciting opportunity to implement effective lymphedema prevention,” said Stanley G. Rockson, MD, the Allan and Tina Neill Professor of Lymphatic Research and Medicine at Stanford University and the project’s lead investigator. “By enabling the regeneration of lymphatic vessels at the time of surgery, we hope to prevent this life-altering common, life-altering complication of otherwise successful cancer treatment.” Dr. Rockson’s collaborators at Stanford include Drs. Andreas Loening (Radiology), Anita Mohan (Plastic Surgery), and Kimberly Stone (Breast Surgical Oncology).

The research efforts of the investigative team will be supported by the Lymphatic Education and Research Network (LE&RN), a recipient of a subaward from Stanford. “We are witnessing a historic moment for lymphatic disease research,” said William Repicci, President and CEO of the Lymphatic Education & Research Network. “There has never been a greater federal commitment to translational research focused on treatments for lymphatic diseases. Projects like this effort at Stanford University represent the kind of bold innovation that has the potential to transform how lymphedema is understood and treated for millions of people worldwide.”

The research effort will carry forward and implement the pioneering work of Professor James Moore Jr., the Bagrit and Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Medical Device Design and Director of Research in Bioengineering at Imperial College London.

“Our goal is to develop a technology that is not only effective but widely accessible,” said Moore. “The device can be manufactured at low cost and easily implanted during routine surgery, giving it the potential for substantial global impact.”

Unlike current preventive options, which often rely on complex microsurgical procedures requiring highly specialized teams, the new device is designed for straightforward, simple surgical deployment and usable by virtually any surgeon performing cancer surgery.

Through its global network of Centers of Excellence, LE&RN will help to connect the team of investigators with clinician, patient, and community stakeholders to ensure that the technology reflects the real-world needs of those living with lymphatic diseases.

ABOUT THE STANFORD CENTER FOR LYMPHATIC AND VENOUS DISORDERS

Lymphatic and venous disorders often have profound functional and psychological implications for patients and their families. Caring for patients with edema is a complex task requiring input from many specialists. In order to meet these challenges, the Stanford Center for Lymphatic and Venous Disorders provides a broad spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic treatments for adults and children.

ABOUT LE&RN

The Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN) is an internationally recognized non-

profit organization founded to fight lymphatic diseases through education, research, and advocacy. LE&RN provides valuable educational resources, supports research initiatives, and promotes awareness worldwide. For free support in navigating the challenges of lymphatic diseases, visit the LE&RN Resource Center online.