Telocytes (TCs) are newly identified interstitial cells characterized by thin and long cytoplasmic processes, called telopodes, which exhibit a distinctive moniliform shape and, often, a sinuous trajectory. Telopodes typically organize in intricate networks within the stromal space of most organs, where they communicate with neighboring cells by means of specialized cell-to-cell junctions or shedding extracellular vesicles. Hence, TCs are generally regarded as supporting cells that help in the maintenance of local tissue homeostasis, with an ever-increasing number of studies trying to explore their functions both in physiological and pathological conditions. Notably, TCs appear to be part of stem cell (SC) niches in different organs, including the intestine, skeletal muscle, heart, lung, and skin. Indeed, growing evidence points toward a possible implication of TCs in the regulation of the activity of tissue-resident SCs and in shaping the SC niche microenvironment, thus contributing to tissue renewal and repair. Here, we review how the introduction of TCs into the scientific literature has deepened our knowledge of the stromal architecture focusing on the intestine and skeletal muscle, two organs in which the recently unveiled unique relationship between TCs and SCs is currently in the spotlight as potential target for tissue regenerative purposes.

Telocytes (TCs) 是新发现的间质细胞，其特征是细而长的细胞质突起，称为 telopodes，它表现出独特的珠状形状，并且通常呈蜿蜒曲折的轨迹。Telopodes 通常在大多数器官的基质空间内组织成复杂的网络，在那里它们通过专门的细胞间连接或脱落的细胞外囊泡与邻近细胞进行通信。因此，TCs 通常被认为是有助于维持局部组织稳态的支持细胞，越来越多的研究试图探索它们在生理和病理条件下的功能。值得注意的是，TC 似乎是不同器官（包括肠道、骨骼肌、心脏、肺和皮肤）中干细胞 (SC) 生态位的一部分。的确，越来越多的证据表明 TC 可能涉及调节组织驻留 SC 的活动和塑造 SC 利基微环境，从而促进组织更新和修复。在这里，我们回顾了将 TCs 引入科学文献如何加深了我们对以肠和骨骼肌为重点的基质结构的了解，这两个器官最近公布的 TCs 和 SCs 之间的独特关系目前作为潜在目标受到关注用于组织再生目的。