30 articles
Alveolar adventitial fibroblast
Alveolar adventitial fibroblast (AdvF, CL:4028006), also called alveolar type 2 fibroblast cell: a pulmonary interstitial fibroblast of the alveolus that localizes to vascular adventitia, marked by PI16, SERPINF1, SFRP2, and MFAP5, and supporting perivascular stem cell niches.
Articular chondrocyte
Articular chondrocyte (CL:1001607): the sole cell type of hyaline articular cartilage in synovial joints; maintains type II collagen/aggrecan matrix, shows zonal subtypes, mechanotransduction, and limited repair capacity.
Beige adipocyte
Beige adipocyte, also called brite or brown-in-white fat cell, is a thermogenic UCP1-expressing adipocyte arising in white adipose tissue via cold, exercise, or browning agents, distinct from Myf5-lineage brown fat and a target for obesity therapy.
Brown adipocyte
Brown adipocyte: thermogenic fat cell of brown adipose tissue (BAT), also called brown fat; burns glucose and fatty acids via UCP1-mediated mitochondrial uncoupling to produce heat, distinct from beige and white adipocytes.
Cementoblast
Cementoblast: ectomesenchymal cell that secretes cementum, the mineralized root-covering tissue anchoring teeth; becomes a cementocyte when embedded. Distinct from osteoblasts; regulated by Wnt and TGF-β.
Chondroblast
Chondroblast: a cartilage-producing mesenchymal progenitor cell that secretes avascular, GAG-rich matrix and matures into a chondrocyte or osteoblast; also the proliferating cell of chondroblastoma.
Chondrocyte
Chondrocyte, or cartilage cell, is the only cell type in cartilage: a skeletogenic cell embedded in an avascular, GAG-rich matrix that develops from the chondroblast; its hypertrophy drives bone growth but contributes to osteoarthritis.
Connective tissue cell
Connective tissue cell (CL:0002320): any cell of the body's supporting framework tissue, including fibroblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteocytes; mesoderm- or neural crest-derived, matrix-secreting, central to wound healing and fibrosis.
Embryonic fibroblast
An embryonic fibroblast is a fibroblast, a connective-tissue cell that produces extracellular matrix, that is part of an embryo; mouse embryonic fibroblasts are widely used as feeder layers for stem-cell culture.
Fat body cell
Fat body cell: the principal cell (trophocyte) of the insect fat body, an adipose- and liver-like tissue storing lipids, glycogen, and proteins, mediating immunity and detoxification, and signaling to the brain; distinct from mammalian adipocytes.
Hepatic stellate cell
Hepatic stellate cell (Ito cell, fat-storing cell, lipocyte), a perisinusoidal liver pericyte in the space of Disse storing 50-80% of body vitamin A; activates into collagen-producing myofibroblasts driving liver fibrosis.
Homeostatic chondrocyte
Homeostatic chondrocyte (HomC, CL:0020020), a single-cell-RNA-seq-defined chondrocyte state enriched in homeostasis and circadian clock pathways; markers DDIT3, ATF3, GDF15; depleted in osteoarthritic cartilage.
Interstitial cell
Interstitial cell: a morphological histology term for cells occupying the interstitium between a tissue's defining cells. Covers interstitial cells of Cajal (gut pacemakers, c-kit/ANO1), Leydig cells (testicular testosterone), and Cajal's 1891–93 usage.
Keratocyte
Keratocyte (corneal keratocyte): neural crest-derived stromal cell of the cornea, dendritic and quiescent, marked by keratocan, CD34, crystallins; maintains transparency, converts to fibroblasts and myofibroblasts after injury, causing haze.
Ligament cell
Ligament cell (ligamentocyte, ligament fibroblast): the principal fibroblast-like cell of ligaments, located between collagen fibrils, quiescent, synthesizing type I/III collagen ECM, communicating via connexin 32/43 gap junction processes.
Mesenchymal cell
Mesenchymal cell (CL:0008019, mesenchyme cell): a non-polarized, migratory, matrix-associated cell made by epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; distinct from mesenchymal stem/stromal cells used in wound healing.
Multinuclear osteoclast
Multinuclear osteoclast, or multinucleated osteoclast: a bone-resorbing giant cell formed by fusion of mononuclear precursors under M-CSF and RANKL, requiring DC-STAMP and OC-STAMP, with resorptive efficiency rising with nuclearity.
Odontoblast
Odontoblast: dentin-forming cell lining the tooth pulp cavity, derived from neural crest mesenchyme; induced by inner enamel epithelium, secretes predentin, forms sclerotic and reparative dentin, and acts in pulp sensory defense.
Pancreatic stellate cell
Pancreatic stellate cell (PSC), vitamin A-storing pancreatic cell identified 1982, isolated 1998; quiescent in health, activated to myofibroblast-like ECM-producing cells driving fibrosis in chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer stroma.
Perineurial cell
A perineurial cell is a flattened cell that forms the concentric layers of the perineurium, the sheath around each peripheral nerve fascicle, creating the blood-nerve barrier.
Regulatory chondrocyte
Regulatory chondrocyte (RegC), a chondrocyte subtype found by single-cell RNA sequencing of human cartilage; marked by CFH, LUM, DCN, CHI3L1/2; enriched in signalling and anti-inflammatory genes; implicated in cartilage homeostasis and osteoarthritis.
Skeletogenic cell
Skeletogenic cell (Cell Ontology CL:0007001): umbrella term for cells forming skeletal tissue, including osteoblasts, chondroblasts, and chondrocytes, arising from skeletal stem and progenitor cells in periosteum and bone marrow.
Skin fibroblast
Skin fibroblast, or dermal fibroblast, is the main connective tissue cell of the dermis, secreting collagen-rich extracellular matrix; heterogeneous papillary and reticular subtypes drive wound healing, scarring, hair follicle formation, and skin aging.
Stromal cell
Stromal cell (CL:0000499): a mesenchymal-lineage connective tissue cell of the loose connective tissue forming an organ's supportive stroma; includes fibroblasts, pericytes, and mesenchymal stromal cells used in immunomodulatory therapy.
Stromal cell of endometrium
Stromal cells of endometrium, also called endometrial stromal fibroblasts, are the connective tissue cells of the uterine lining that drive its monthly remodeling and, during pregnancy, differentiate into decidual cells essential for embryo implantation.
Synovial cell
Synovial cells are the macrophages and fibroblasts of the joint-lining synovium; CD55+ lining and THY1+ sublining fibroblasts and MerTK-defined macrophage subsets maintain joint homeostasis and drive rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis inflammation.
Telocyte
Telocytes are stromal interstitial cells with a small cell body and extremely long, thin, beaded telopodes, renamed from interstitial Cajal-like cells in 2010 by Popescu and Faussone-Pellegrini; they form 3D networks, support stem cell niches, and are implicated in fibrosis.
Tendon cell
Tendon cell (tenocyte), the main tendon fibroblast, about 95% of tendon cells; spindle-shaped, produces type I collagen ECM, marked by scleraxis and tenomodulin, responds to mechanical load, and is the target of tendon cell therapy.
Type B synovial cell
Type B synovial cell, or fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS), synovial fibroblast: resident stromal cell of the synovial intimal lining secreting hyaluronan, lubricin, collagens, and fibronectin; key effector cell in rheumatoid arthritis.
White adipocyte
White adipocyte (white fat cell), the unilocular lipid-storing cell of white adipose tissue: single large triglyceride droplet, few mitochondria, no UCP1, endocrine secretion of leptin and adiponectin, and inducible browning to beige adipocytes.