Corneal transparency is a prerequisite for optimal vision and in turn relies on an absence of blood and lymphatic vessels, which is remarkable given the cornea’s proximity to vascularized tissues. Membrane-bound vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR-3), with its cognate ligand vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C), is a major mediator of lymphangiogenesis. Here, we demonstrate that the cornea expresses a novel truncated isoform of this molecule, soluble VEGFR-3 (sVEGFR-3), which is critical for corneal alymphaticity, by sequestering VEGF-C. sVEGFR-3 binds and sequesters VEGF-C, thereby blocking signaling through VEGFR-3 and suppressing lymphangiogenesis induced by VEGF-C. sVEGFR-3 knockdown leads to lymphangiogenesis and hemangiogenesis in the mouse cornea, while overexpression of sVEGFR-3 inhibits lymphangiogenesis and hemangiogenesis in a murine suture injury model. Pax6+/− mice spontaneously develop corneal and lymphatic vessels and are deficient in sVEGFR-3. sVEGFR-3 suppresses hemangiogenesis by blocking VEGF-C–induced phosphorylation of VEGFR-2. Overexpression of sVEGFR-3 leads to a 5-fold increase in corneal transplant survival in mouse models. sVEGFR-3 holds promise as a molecule to control and regress lymphatic-vessel–based dysfunction. Therefore, sVEGFR-3 has the potential to protect the injured cornea from opacification secondary to infection, inflammation, or transplant rejection.
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