Cadmium (Cd) is a hazardous heavy metal which presents adverse concerns towards public
and environmental health, primarily through its cytotoxic and carcinogenic properties (1). In
this thesis, the impact of Cd on lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) was investigated as few to
no current studies have been published on this topic. It is essential to get an understanding of
how LECs are affected by Cd. They are one of the main structural and functional components
of the lymphatic system, and the lymphatic system is an important part of the immune and
circulatory systems (2). In vitro proliferation assays and in vitro 3D fibrin gel microcarrier
sprouting assays were conducted to assess how Cd affected the cell viability, proliferation and
sprouting of Dermal Lymphatic Adult Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells (HMVEC-
dLyAd). The results obtained in this thesis should be looked at critically, but similar
observations have been reported in different endothelial cells exposed to Cd in prior studies
(3). The results suggest that Cd has cytotoxic and anti-lymphangiogenic properties, negatively
affecting cell viability, proliferation and sprouting. Ultimately, more research is necessary to
uncover the complex molecular mechanisms of how Cd affects LECs, but this thesis serves as
an important starting point.
