title: Telocytes and Their Extracellular Vesicles-Evidence and Hypotheses.
abstract: Entering the new millennium, nobody believed that there was the possibility of discovering a new cellular type. Nevertheless, telocytes (TCs) were described as a novel kind of interstitial cell. Ubiquitously distributed in the extracellular matrix of any tissue, TCs are regarded as cells with telopodes involved in intercellular communication by direct homo- and heterocellular junctions or by extracellular vesicle (EVs) release. Their discovery has aroused the interest of many research groups worldwide, and many researchers regard them as potentially regenerative cells. Given the experience of our laboratory, where these cells were first described, we review the evidence supporting the fact that TCs release EVs, and discuss alternative hypotheses about their future implications.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Histology, Department of Morphological Sciences, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest 050474, Romania. dragos@cretoiu.ro.|Victor Babeş National Institute of Pathology, Bucharest 050096, Romania. dragos@cretoiu.ro.
authors.forename: Dragos
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cretoiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China. jhx_tj@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Jiahong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Regeneration and Ageing Lab, Experimental Center of Life Sciences, School of Life Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China. junjiexiao@live.cn.
authors.forename: Junjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Histology, Department of Morphological Sciences, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest 050474, Romania. sanda@cretoiu.ro.|Victor Babeş National Institute of Pathology, Bucharest 050096, Romania. sanda@cretoiu.ro.
authors.forename: Sanda M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cretoiu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055354:Exosomes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000067128:Extracellular Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D000067170:Telocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure
keywords: ectosomes; exosomes; extracellular vesicles; telocytes; telopodes