Integrating Single-cell Multi-omics and Prior Biological Knowledge for a Functional Characterization of the Immune System

Overview

Journal Nat Immunol

Date 2024 Feb 27

PMID 38413722

Authors

Philipp Sven Lars Schafer

Daniel Dimitrov

Eduardo J Villablanca

Julio Saez-Rodriguez

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The immune system comprises diverse specialized cell types that cooperate to defend the host against a wide range of pathogenic threats. Recent advancements in single-cell and spatial multi-omics technologies provide rich information about the molecular state of immune cells. Here, we review how the integration of single-cell and spatial multi-omics data with prior knowledge-gathered from decades of detailed biochemical studies-allows us to obtain functional insights, focusing on gene regulatory processes and cell-cell interactions. We present diverse applications in immunology and critically assess underlying assumptions and limitations. Finally, we offer a perspective on the ongoing technological and algorithmic developments that promise to get us closer to a systemic mechanistic understanding of the immune system.

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