Tampa General, USF plan new center to advance lymphatic disease care

Tampa General Hospital and USF Health have secured funding for a new center that would bring doctors, scientists and educators together to study diseases of the body’s lymphatic system.

A one-year, $150,000 grant from the University of South Florida’s research office will support the development of the Center for Lymphatic Education and Research, known as CLEAR, Tampa General announced Thursday. 

The center will be established through USF Health and is expected to coordinate research, physician training and patient care related to lymphatic diseases. Organizers also plan to use the initial funding to prepare applications for larger federal grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the release says.

The lymphatic system helps regulate fluid levels, support immune function and remove waste from the body. Damage to that system can cause lymphedema, a chronic condition marked by swelling that most commonly affects the arms or legs.

Lymphedema can develop after cancer treatment, surgery, infection or trauma. It can cause pain, limited mobility and recurring infections, according to Tampa General. Research cited by the hospital indicates that as many as one-third of breast cancer survivors who undergo removal of lymph nodes from the armpit may develop the condition.

“Despite affecting millions of people worldwide, lymphatic diseases remain significantly underrecognized and underfunded relative to their impact on patients’ lives,” Jerome Breslin, a professor and vice chair for research in USF Health’s Department of Plastic Surgery, says in the release.

Breslin helped develop the proposal with Dr. Nicholas Panetta, who leads Tampa General’s Plastic Surgery Institute and chairs the Department of Plastic Surgery at USF Health’s Morsani College of Medicine.

The center will connect specialists from fields including medicine, engineering, artificial intelligence, public health, business and education. Its planned work includes expanding laboratory and patient-focused research, creating training opportunities for medical residents and fellows, pursuing federal funding and increasing public awareness of lymphatic diseases.

The initiative builds on Tampa General’s existing Lymphedema Care Center, which provides therapy, imaging and reconstructive surgery, primarily for patients who develop the condition after cancer treatment.

The new center’s first year will focus on establishing its structure and building collaborations across USF and Tampa General, the release says. The long-term goal, hospital officials say, is to make the region a national center for lymphatic science, clinical innovation and education.