Revolutionizing immunology with single-cell RNA sequencing

Cell Mol Immunol. 2019 Mar;16(3):242-249. doi: 10.1038/s41423-019-0214-4. Epub 2019 Feb 22.

Abstract

The immune system is composed of a complex hierarchy of cell types that protect the organism against disease and maintain homeostasis. Identifying heterogeneity of immune cells is the key to understanding the immune system. Advanced single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technologies are revolutionizing our ability to study immunology. By measuring transcriptomes at the single-cell level, scRNA-seq enables identification of cellular heterogeneity in far greater detail than conventional methods. In this review, we introduce the existing scRNA-seq technologies and present their strengths and weaknesses. We also discuss potential applications and future innovations of scRNA-seq in immunology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Allergy and Immunology / trends*
  • Animals
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Techniques / methods*
  • Sequence Analysis, RNA / methods*
  • Single-Cell Analysis / methods*
  • Transcriptome