paper

CPTCs Drive Somatic-Visceral Communication via the Wnt Axis in Somatic Mechanotherapy: A Single-Cell Deep Learning Study

arXiv:2602.05451 · doi:10.1096/fj.202600755RRR

Abstract

Somatic mechanical stimulation (e.g., acupuncture) exerts systemic immunomodulatory effects, yet the cellular bridge translating peripheral physical force into visceral repair remains elusive. Here, employing a custom interpretable deep learning framework (CARSS) on single-cell RNA sequencing data, we identify CD34+PDGFRα+ telocytes (CPTCs) as the primary mechanosensors in both fascia and colon during bacterial colitis. We show that somatic mechanotherapy triggers an AP-1/Hsp70-dependent transcriptional program in fascial CPTCs, inducing systemic Wnt elevation, which elicits a "transcriptional resonance" in colonic CPTCs, reprogramming their communication network from an inflammatory amplifier to a Wnt-driven regenerative hub. Mechanistically, this axis activates epithelial \b{eta}-catenin/Myc signaling, suppressing apoptosis and restoring barrier integrity independent of immune cells. Our findings define a CPTC-Driven Mechano-Resonance Axis, where CPTCs serve as synchronized relay stations that convert somatic mechanical stimulation into systemic regenerative microenvironments.