About this Research Topic
Telocytes (TC) are unusual and multifunctional interstitial cells characterized by long and thin prolongations called telopodes which form a complex 3D network within the interstitium. They are found in many mammals, and it is hypothesized that they have a mesenchymal origin.
While immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence studies have shown promising results, the use of electron microscopy has significantly enhanced the identification of these cells. Moreover, recent proteomic studies, microarray-based gene expression analysis, and the micro-RNA signatures have successfully distinguished telocytes from fibroblasts, mesenchymal stem cells, and endothelial cells.
Due to their diverse shapes and functions across different tissues, there is still much to uncover about this peculiar cell type. While telocytes in humans and animals share similar characteristics and functions, there may be some differences in their specific roles depending on the tissue or organ they inhabit. Mammalian telocytes play significant roles in organogenesis, development, tissue regeneration, homeostasis, and immunosurveillance. Moreover, they are able to exert influence on target cells through direct contact as well as paracrine signaling, communicating with epithelial, stromal, and immune cells over long distances.
In light of the above, the goal of this Research Topic is to comprehensively investigate telocytes in various tissues and elucidate their functional significance in tissue homeostasis and disease pathogenesis. By unraveling the molecular and cellular mechanisms of TCs, this collection aims to deepen our understanding of their contributions to tissue development, regeneration, and immunosurveillance and uncover how alterations in TCs are implicated in the pathogenesis of diseases with the ultimate aim to pave the way for novel approaches in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and disease management.
Areas to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• Migrating telocytes
• Telocytes involvement in different tumor tissues and autoimmune diseases
• Telocytes morphology in normal and diseased organs in animals and humans
• Telocytes morphology and distribution in pregnancy
• Potential functional differences of telocytes that may exist between humans and animals, especially in aquatic species
The editors welcome different article types including Original Research, Reviews and Mini-Reviews, Methods, Brief Research Reports, and Perspectives. A full list of accepted article types, including descriptions, can be found at this link.
While immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence studies have shown promising results, the use of electron microscopy has significantly enhanced the identification of these cells. Moreover, recent proteomic studies, microarray-based gene expression analysis, and the micro-RNA signatures have successfully distinguished telocytes from fibroblasts, mesenchymal stem cells, and endothelial cells.
Due to their diverse shapes and functions across different tissues, there is still much to uncover about this peculiar cell type. While telocytes in humans and animals share similar characteristics and functions, there may be some differences in their specific roles depending on the tissue or organ they inhabit. Mammalian telocytes play significant roles in organogenesis, development, tissue regeneration, homeostasis, and immunosurveillance. Moreover, they are able to exert influence on target cells through direct contact as well as paracrine signaling, communicating with epithelial, stromal, and immune cells over long distances.
In light of the above, the goal of this Research Topic is to comprehensively investigate telocytes in various tissues and elucidate their functional significance in tissue homeostasis and disease pathogenesis. By unraveling the molecular and cellular mechanisms of TCs, this collection aims to deepen our understanding of their contributions to tissue development, regeneration, and immunosurveillance and uncover how alterations in TCs are implicated in the pathogenesis of diseases with the ultimate aim to pave the way for novel approaches in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and disease management.
Areas to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• Migrating telocytes
• Telocytes involvement in different tumor tissues and autoimmune diseases
• Telocytes morphology in normal and diseased organs in animals and humans
• Telocytes morphology and distribution in pregnancy
• Potential functional differences of telocytes that may exist between humans and animals, especially in aquatic species
The editors welcome different article types including Original Research, Reviews and Mini-Reviews, Methods, Brief Research Reports, and Perspectives. A full list of accepted article types, including descriptions, can be found at this link.
Keywords: tumor, morphology, aquatic species, normal tissue, diseased tissue, Cell Differentiation, autoimmune diseases, animals, human
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