%0 Journal Article
%T Requirement of Pdgfrα+ cells for calvarial bone repair.
%A Xing X
%A Li Z
%A Xu J
%A Chen AZ
%A Archer M
%A Wang Y
%A Xu M
%A Wang Z
%A Zhu M
%A Qin Q
%A Thottappillil N
%A Zhou M
%A James AW
%J Stem Cells Transl Med
%V 13
%N 8
%D 2024 Aug 16
%M 38986535
%F 7.655
%R 10.1093/stcltm/szae041
%X Platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα) is often considered as a general marker of mesenchymal cells and fibroblasts, but also shows expression in a portion of osteoprogenitor cells. Within the skeleton, Pdgfrα+ mesenchymal cells have been identified in bone marrow and periosteum of long bones, where they play a crucial role in participating in fracture repair. A similar examination of Pdgfrα+ cells in calvarial bone healing has not been examined. Here, we utilize Pdgfrα-CreERTM;mT/mG reporter animals to examine the contribution of Pdgfrα+ mesenchymal cells to calvarial bone repair through histology and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq). Results showed that Pdgfrα+ mesenchymal cells are present in several cell clusters by scRNA-Seq, and by histology a dramatic increase in Pdgfrα+ cells populated the defect site at early timepoints to give rise to healed bone tissue overtime. Notably, diphtheria toxin-mediated ablation of Pdgfrα reporter+ cells resulted in significantly impaired calvarial bone healing. Our findings suggest that Pdgfrα-expressing cells within the calvarial niche play a critical role in the process of calvarial bone repair.