Dynamic changes of molecular pattern and cellular subpopulation in puncture-induced tendon injury model.

Tendon degeneration and injury often result in significant pain and functional impairment. Typically, tendon healing occurs through a scar-mediated response and may progress to chronic tendinopathy without timely intervention. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying early tendon repair remain poorly understood. Further investigation is also impeded by the limited availability of early tendon injury samples in clinical settings. In this study, we established a puncture-induced tendon injury model to investigate the molecular patterns and cellular subpopulations involved in early tendon injury across multiple time points. RNA sequencing identified seven gene sets with distinct expression profiles during the early stages of tendon injury. Single-cell RNA sequencing further revealed eight myeloid cell types and seven mesenchymal cell types participating in the tendon repair process. Together, these findings illuminate the molecular and cellular dynamics coordinating early tendon repair, providing insights that could inform future clinical treatments for tendinopathy and tendon injury.