Significance and perspectives of telocytes in lung diseases

Abstract

Telocytes (TCs) are a type of interstitial cells with essential roles in regenerative medicine. TCs spatially exist in the stem cell niche and are considered a ‘stem cell helper cell’. Mesenchymal stromal cells therapy has been widely used in treating lung diseases, while there is increasing evidence from preclinical studies to show the beneficial effects of TCs to support smooth muscle cells and treat lung diseases, by releasing paracrine factors, exosomes, and microvesicles. There are still limitations and challenges to be overcome for TCs-based translational medicine and clinical applications, by developing new methods and improving therapeutic strategies. The present review overviews the historical development, morphology and spatialization, biomarker specificity and values, biological functions, therapeutic effects on preclinical lung diseases, as well as potential mechanisms and future perspectives in lung diseases. TCs exert beneficial effects on preclinical asthma and acute lung injury and essential roles in repairing injured lung tissues and angiogenesis, by releasing paracrine factors and exosomes.