The functional morphology and role of cardiac telocytes in myocardium regeneration

Abstract

Key morphological discoveries in recent years have included the discovery of new cell populations inside the heart called cardiac telocytes. These newly described cells of the connective tissue have extremely long cytoplasmic processes through which they form functionally connected three-dimensional networks that connect cells of the immune system, nerve fibers, cardiac stem cells, and cardiac muscle cells. Based on their functions, telocytes are also referred to as “connecting cells” or “nurse cells” for cardiac progenitor stem cells. In this critical review, we provide a summary of the latest research on cardiac telocytes localized in all layers of the heart — from the historical background of their discovery, through ultrastructural, immunohistochemical, and functional characterizations, to the application of this knowledge to the fields of cardiology, stem cell research, and regenerative medicine.