Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To summarize the research in tissue regeneration and engineered scaffold materials for the prevention and treatment of lymphedema. METHODS: The recent domestic and international literature about lymphangiogenesis-related factors, stem cells, and tissue engineered scaffold materials for the prevention and treatment of lymphedema was extensively reviewed and summarized, and the progress of tissue engineered scaffold materials in prevention and treatment of lymphedema was emphatically introduced. RESULTS: Lymphangiogenesis-related factors, stem cells, and tissue engineered scaffold materials utilize two main strategies to prevent and treat lymphedema: promoting lymphatic network regeneration in vivo and constructing functional lymphatic tissues for transplantation in vitro. CONCLUSION: Tissue regeneration and engineered scaffold materials provide new approaches for the prevention and treatment of lymphedema. Although innovative developments have been made, most are still at the basic research stage, and clinical translation remains a challenge.