Tuft cells, rare solitary chemosensory cells, are distributed in mucosal epithelium throughout mammalian organs. Their nomenclatures are various in different organs and may be confused with other similar cells. Current studies mainly focus on their chemosensory ability and immune functions in type 2 inflammation. Several state-of-the-art reviews have already systematically discussed their role in immune responses. However, given that tuft cells are one of the crucial components of non-neuronal cholinergic system, the functions of tuft cell derived acetylcholine (ACh) and the underlying mechanisms remain intricate. Existing evidence demonstrated that tuft cell derived ACh participates in maintaining epithelial homeostasis, modulating airway remodeling, regulating reflexes, promoting muscle constriction, inducing neurogenic inflammation, initiating carcinogenesis and producing ATP. In this review, the ACh biosynthesis pathways and potential clinical applications of tuft cells have been proposed. More importantly, the main pathophysiological roles and the underlying mechanisms of tuft cell derived ACh are summarized and discussed.

簇状细胞是稀有的孤立的化学感觉细胞，分布在整个哺乳动物器官的粘膜上皮中。它们的名称在不同的器官中是多种多样的，并且可能与其他相似的细胞相混淆。目前的研究主要集中在它们在2型炎症中的化学感应能力和免疫功能。一些最新的综述已经系统地讨论了它们在免疫反应中的作用。但是，鉴于簇状细胞是非神经元胆碱能系统的关键组成部分之一，簇状细胞衍生的乙酰胆碱（ACh）的功能和潜在机制仍然很复杂。现有证据表明，簇状细胞衍生的乙酰胆碱参与维持上皮稳态，调节气道重塑，调节反射，促进肌肉收缩，诱发神经源性炎症，启动癌变并产生ATP。在这篇综述中，已经提出了簇绒细胞的ACh生物合成途径和潜在的临床应用。更重要的是，总结和讨论了簇绒细胞衍生的乙酰胆碱的主要病理生理作用和潜在机制。