Lymphedema has accurately been called the "orphan" disease as
such little research has historically been undertaken to
understand both the pathophysiology of the condition and
research that could possible lead to a cure. Despite the fact
that funding is still limited compared to other conditions, the
pace of research has dramatically quickened in the past few
years. Progress has been made in understand the condition by
research into how the lymphatic system ties into other diseases
and body systems. The end result thus far has been a tie in that
no one would have expected and that the lymphatic system is
deeply and intrinsically connected to a profound number of other
diseases and plays a major part in a multitude of body
processes. Direct lymphedema research has been focused on
understanding how lymphedema might effect the overall health of
the patient, how the lymph systems "grows," experimental
procedures designed to alleviate the condition, and finally to
new genetic treatments that can restore the lymph