Fibroblast specialization across microanatomy in a single-cell atlas of human Achilles tendon
Cohen CJ., Mimpen JY., Kurjan A., Paul C., Sharma S., Ramos-Mucci L., Ikwuanusi CT., Aksu AC., Boakye Serebour T., Nikolic M., Rue-Albrecht K., Gibbons C., Whitwell D., Cosker T., Gwilym S., Siddiqi A., Rajasekaran RB., Branford-White H., Cribbs AP., Hulley PA., Sims D., Baldwin MJ., Snelling SJB.
We present the first spatially resolved single-cell atlas of the human Achilles tendon. By sampling across the microanatomy of the tendon from enthesis to muscle, we demonstrate changes in fibroblast composition across this transitional tissue. Distinct fibroblast subsets were discovered with specific transcriptomic signatures, and several were found in distinct spatial locations corresponding to putative functional roles in tendon and adjoining muscle. These findings demonstrate how cellular diversity across a transitional tissue may underlie microanatomical-specific roles.