Tumor-associated telocytes

To the Editor:It has been eighteen years since telocytes(TCs)were first categorized by Popescu et al^([1])in 2005.TCs were classified into interstitial cells of the Cajal(ICC)type based on their ultrastructure and immunohistochemical features,which are similar to mesenchymal cells.^([2])In the following ten years,TCs were found to have their own distinctive characteristics in terms of three-dimensional structure,immunological biomarkers,genomics,and multiple functions.Interestingly,TCs are definitely distinct from fibroblasts,mesenchymal stem cells,and endothelial cells in multiple organs of human beings and animals.^([3])