A press release was issued for a paper published in The Journal of Pathology by Dr. Ariunbuyan Sukhbaatar, Assistant Professor, and colleagues.

Tohoku University website (February 9, 2026)

In this study, we identified for the first time a previously unknown anatomical structure within lymph nodes, termed the lymphatic sinus–venous shunt, where lymphatic sinuses are directly connected to veins. This discovery was achieved using a mouse model and state-of-the-art high-resolution imaging techniques.

The lymphatic system has long been considered a unidirectional pathway in which lymph flows exclusively through lymphatic vessels. Our findings overturn this conventional view by demonstrating the existence of a direct route through which lymph drains from lymph node sinuses into the venous system.

This discovery provides new insights into the pathophysiology of lymphedema, a common and intractable postoperative complication, and advances our understanding of how cancer cells metastasized to lymph nodes may subsequently enter the bloodstream. Moreover, these findings are expected to drive a paradigm shift in pharmacokinetic design and contribute to the development of more effective and selective lymphatic drug delivery systems (LDDS).

This work was published online in The Journal of Pathology on February 4, 2026.

Publication Details:

Title: Lymphatic topology reveals a novel intranodal lympho-venous shunt

Authors: Ariunbuyan Sukhbaatar, Radhika Mishra, Akira Nakamura, Shiro Mori, Tsuyoshi Sugiura, Tetsuya Kodama

Journal: The Journal of Pathology

DOI: 10.1002/path.70032