title: The History of Telocyte Discovery and Understanding.
abstract: Telocytes (TCs) are identified as a peculiar cell type of interstitial cells in various organs. The typical features of TCs from the other cells are the extending cellular process as telopodes with alternation of podomeres and podoms. Before the year of 2010, TCs were considered as interstitial Cajal-like cells because of the similar morphology and immunohistochemical features with interstitial cells of Cajal which were found more than 100 years ago and considered to be pacemakers for gut motility. Subsequently, it demonstrated that TCs were not Cajal-like cells, and thus the new name "telocyte" was proposed in 2010. With the help of different techniques, e.g., transmission electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, or omics science, TCs have been detected in various tissues and organs from different species. The pathological role of TCs in different diseases was also studied. According to observation in situ or in vitro, TCs played a vital role in mechanical support, signaling transduction, tissue renewal or repair, immune surveillance, and mechanical sensor via establishing homo- or heterogenous junctions with neighboring cells to form 3D network or release extracellular vesicles to form juxtacrine and paracrine. This review will introduce the origin, distribution, morphology, functions, omics science, methods, and interaction of TCs with other cells and provide a better understanding of the new cell type.
authors: Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Clinical Bioinformatics, Fudan University Center for Clinical Bioinformatics, Clinical Science Institute of Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China.
authors: Jian
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Clinical Bioinformatics, Fudan University Center for Clinical Bioinformatics, Clinical Science Institute of Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China.
authors: Meiling
authors: M
authors: Jin
authors: Zhabei District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yanchang Middle Road No. 288, Jingan District, Shanghai, China.
authors: Wen-Huan
authors: WH
authors: Ma
authors: Jinzhou Hospital of Liaoning Medical College, Jinzhou, China. zhuzhitu@163.com.
authors: Zhitu
authors: Z
authors: Zhu
authors: Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Clinical Bioinformatics, Fudan University Center for Clinical Bioinformatics, Clinical Science Institute of Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China. Xiangdong.wang@clintransmed.org.
authors: Xiangdong
authors: X
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015706:Bibliometrics; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002450:Cell Communication; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000502:physiology*; D019295:Computational Biology; D000067128:Extracellular Vesicles / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007157:Immunologic Surveillance / Q000502:physiology; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D000067170:Telocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism