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Panganiban RP, McAninch C, Chulkina M, Pinchuk IV. Telocytes in inflammatory bowel diseases: contributions to pathology and therapeutic potentials. Front Cell Dev Biol 2025; 12:1452258. [PMID: 39872845 PMCID: PMC11770051 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1452258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 12/30/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2025] Open
Abstract
Telocytes, a novel mesenchymal cell population, are characterized by their distinctive long and slender projections known as telopodes and have garnered significant interest since their formal introduction to the literature in 2010. These cells have been identified in various tissues, including the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, where they are suggested to play important roles in maintaining structural integrity, immune modulation, and barrier function. Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which include Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are characterized by chronic inflammation and fibrosis. While limited information is available on the fate of telocytes in this group of diseases, it has been suggested that loss/plasticity of telocytes can be among the key factors contributing to their pathogenesis. This review focuses on the current understanding of telocytes, their structural features, and their distribution within the GI tract under gut homeostasis and IBD. We also discuss the roles of these cells in immune regulation and intestinal repair. We highlight evidence implicating telocytes in the pathogenesis of IBD and other chronic inflammatory diseases that share similar pathophysiological processes with IBD. Lastly, we discuss the current challenges in gut telocyte biology and the potential therapeutic implications of telocytes in IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Irina V. Pinchuk
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
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Kaestner K, Zhu G, Lahori D, Schug J. Villification of the intestinal epithelium is driven by Foxl1. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4882679. [PMID: 39184090 PMCID: PMC11343282 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4882679/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
The primitive gut tube of mammals initially forms as a simple cylinder consisting of the endoderm-derived, pseudostratified epithelium and the mesoderm-derived surrounding mesenchyme. During mid-gestation a dramatic transformation occurs in which the epithelium is both restructured into its final cuboidal form and simultaneously folded and refolded to create intestinal villi and intervillus regions, the incipient crypts. Here we show that the mesenchymal winged helix transcription factor Foxl1, itself induced by epithelial hedgehog signaling, controls villification by activating BMP and PDGFRa as well as planar cell polarity genes in epithelial-adjacent telocyte progenitors, both directly and in a feed- forward loop with Foxo3. In the absence of Foxl1-dependent mesenchymal signaling, villus formation is delayed, the separation of epithelial cells into mitotic intervillus and postmitotic villus cells impaired, and the differentiation of secretory progenitors blocked. Thus, Foxl1 orchestrates key events during the epithelial transition of the fetal mammalian gut.
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Sanches BDA, Teófilo FBS, Brunet MY, Villapun VM, Man K, Rocha LC, Neto JP, Matsumoto MR, Maldarine JS, Ciena AP, Cox SC, Carvalho HF. Telocytes: current methods of research, challenges and future perspectives. Cell Tissue Res 2024; 396:141-155. [PMID: 38539007 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-024-03888-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Telocytes (TCs) are CD34-positive interstitial cells that have long cytoplasmic projections, called telopodes; they have been identified in several organs and in various species. These cells establish a complex communication network between different stromal and epithelial cell types, and there is growing evidence that they play a key role in physiology and pathology. In many tissues, TC network impairment has been implicated in the onset and progression of pathological conditions, which makes the study of TCs of great interest for the development of novel therapies. In this review, we summarise the main methods involved in the characterisation of these cells as well as their inherent difficulties and then discuss the functional assays that are used to uncover the role of TCs in normal and pathological conditions, from the most traditional to the most recent. Furthermore, we provide future perspectives in the study of TCs, especially regarding the establishment of more precise markers, commercial lineages and means for drug delivery and genetic editing that directly target TCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno D A Sanches
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Carl von Linnaeus St. Bldg G1, Bertrand Russel Ave., Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Francisco B S Teófilo
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Carl von Linnaeus St. Bldg G1, Bertrand Russel Ave., Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mathieu Y Brunet
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Victor M Villapun
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Kenny Man
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery & Special Dental Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3508 GA, The Netherlands
- Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - Lara C Rocha
- Laboratory of Morphology and Physical Activity (LAMAF), Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 1515 24 A Ave., Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jurandyr Pimentel Neto
- Laboratory of Morphology and Physical Activity (LAMAF), Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 1515 24 A Ave., Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marta R Matsumoto
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Carl von Linnaeus St. Bldg G1, Bertrand Russel Ave., Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana S Maldarine
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Carl von Linnaeus St. Bldg G1, Bertrand Russel Ave., Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Adriano P Ciena
- Laboratory of Morphology and Physical Activity (LAMAF), Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 1515 24 A Ave., Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sophie C Cox
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Hernandes F Carvalho
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Carl von Linnaeus St. Bldg G1, Bertrand Russel Ave., Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Zhu G, Lahori D, Schug J, Kaestner KH. Villification of the intestinal epithelium is driven by Foxl1. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.27.582300. [PMID: 38464137 PMCID: PMC10925215 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.27.582300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
The primitive gut tube of mammals initially forms as a simple cylinder consisting of the endoderm-derived, pseudostratified epithelium and the mesoderm-derived surrounding mesenchyme. During mid-gestation a dramatic transformation occurs in which the epithelium is both restructured into its final cuboidal form and simultaneously folded and refolded to create intestinal villi and intervillus regions, the incipient crypts. Here we show that the mesenchymal winged helix transcription factor Foxl1, itself induced by epithelial hedgehog signaling, controls villification by activating BMP and PDGFRα as well as planar cell polarity genes in epithelial-adjacent telocyte progenitors, both directly and in a feed-forward loop with Foxo3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoli Zhu
- Department of Genetics and Center for Molecular Studies in Liver and Digestive Diseases, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 12-126 Smilow Center for Translational Research, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-5156, USA
| | - Deeksha Lahori
- Department of Genetics and Center for Molecular Studies in Liver and Digestive Diseases, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 12-126 Smilow Center for Translational Research, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-5156, USA
| | - Jonathan Schug
- Department of Genetics and Center for Molecular Studies in Liver and Digestive Diseases, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 12-126 Smilow Center for Translational Research, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-5156, USA
| | - Klaus H Kaestner
- Department of Genetics and Center for Molecular Studies in Liver and Digestive Diseases, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 12-126 Smilow Center for Translational Research, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-5156, USA
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Zhang J, Xu Y. Tumor-associated telocytes. Chin Med J (Engl) 2024; 137:490-492. [PMID: 38238151 PMCID: PMC10876250 DOI: 10.1097/cm9.0000000000003016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jinqing Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Shandong Provincial Third Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Ying Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Shandong Provincial Third Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
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Kraiczy J, McCarthy N, Malagola E, Tie G, Madha S, Boffelli D, Wagner DE, Wang TC, Shivdasani RA. Graded BMP signaling within intestinal crypt architecture directs self-organization of the Wnt-secreting stem cell niche. Cell Stem Cell 2023; 30:433-449.e8. [PMID: 37028407 PMCID: PMC10134073 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
Signals from the surrounding niche drive proliferation and suppress differentiation of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) at the bottom of intestinal crypts. Among sub-epithelial support cells, deep sub-cryptal CD81+ PDGFRAlo trophocytes capably sustain ISC functions ex vivo. Here, we show that mRNA and chromatin profiles of abundant CD81- PDGFRAlo mouse stromal cells resemble those of trophocytes and that both populations provide crucial canonical Wnt ligands. Mesenchymal expression of key ISC-supportive factors extends along a spatial and molecular continuum from trophocytes into peri-cryptal CD81- CD55hi cells, which mimic trophocyte activity in organoid co-cultures. Graded expression of essential niche factors is not cell-autonomous but dictated by the distance from bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-secreting PDGFRAhi myofibroblast aggregates. BMP signaling inhibits ISC-trophic genes in PDGFRAlo cells near high crypt tiers; that suppression is relieved in stromal cells near and below the crypt base, including trophocytes. Cell distances thus underlie a self-organized and polar ISC niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Kraiczy
- Department of Medical Oncology and Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Departments of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Neil McCarthy
- Department of Medical Oncology and Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Departments of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ermanno Malagola
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Irving Cancer Research Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Guodong Tie
- Department of Medical Oncology and Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Shariq Madha
- Department of Medical Oncology and Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Dario Boffelli
- Institute for Human Genetics and Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Daniel E Wagner
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science and Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Timothy C Wang
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Irving Cancer Research Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ramesh A Shivdasani
- Department of Medical Oncology and Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Departments of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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Up-regulation of Aquaporin 5 Defines Spasmolytic Polypeptide-Expressing Metaplasia and Progression to Incomplete Intestinal Metaplasia. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 13:199-217. [PMID: 34455107 PMCID: PMC8593616 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2021.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Metaplasia in the stomach is highly associated with development of intestinal-type gastric cancer. Two types of metaplasias, spasmolytic polypeptide-expressing metaplasia (SPEM) and intestinal metaplasia (IM), are considered precancerous lesions. However, it remains unclear how SPEM and IM are related. Here we investigated a new lineage-specific marker for SPEM cells, aquaporin 5 (AQP5), to assist in the identification of these 2 metaplasias. METHODS Drug- or Helicobacter felis (H felis) infection-induced mouse models were used to identify the expression pattern of AQP5 in acute or chronic SPEM. Gene-manipulated mice treated with or without drug were used to investigate how AQP5 expression is regulated in metaplastic lesions. Metaplastic samples from transgenic mice and human gastric cancer patients were evaluated for AQP5 expression. Immunostaining with lineage-specific markers was used to differentiate metaplastic gland characteristics. RESULTS Our results revealed that AQP5 is a novel lineage-specific marker for SPEM cells that are localized at the base of metaplastic glands initially and expand to dominate glands after chronic H felis infection. In addition, AQP5 expression was up-regulated early in chief cell reprogramming and was promoted by interleukin 13. In humans, metaplastic corpus showed highly branched structures with AQP5-positive SPEM. Human SPEM cells strongly expressing AQP5 were present at the bases of incomplete IM glands marked by TROP2 but were absent from complete IM glands. CONCLUSIONS AQP5-expressing SPEM cells are present in pyloric metaplasia and TROP2-positive incomplete IM and may be an important component of metaplasia that can predict a higher risk for gastric cancer development.
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