Abstract: Disclosed herein are compositions and methods useful for treating diseases, conditions and injuries of the heart, and/or improving cardiac function in a subject in need thereof. In some embodiments, the methods comprise administering a therapeutically effective amount of a reelin polypeptide, a functional fragment or variant thereof, or a nucleic acid that expresses a reelin polypeptide or a functional fragment or variant thereof, to the subject.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and compositions useful for identifying and treating diseases, conditions, and abnormalities of the lymphatic vasculature. In some embodiments, the methods include determining a level of platelet factor 4 (PF4) in a biological sample of the subject, and diagnosing the subject as having a disease or condition of the lymphatic vasculature if the subject's PF4 level is increased compared to a control PF4 level. Also disclosed herein are method of treating a subject having an increased PF4 level. In some embodiments, the methods include administering a composition comprising a molecule that specifically binds to and inhibits the function of PF4, such as, for example, an antibody. In some embodiments, the subject has previously been diagnosed with obesity.

Abstract: Methods and compositions based on the elucidation of the role of Prox1 in lymphatic tissue development in normal and tumor tissue are provided. Included are methods for determining the extent of lymphatic involvement in a tumor, methods for purifying endothelial precursor cells predisposed to develop into lymphatic tissue, and methods for promoting the development of lymphatic tissue. Pharmaceutical compositions and gene therapy vectors useful in the latter methods are provided.