Swedish scientists find new immune cell subsets by single cell RNA technology

Scientists have a more detailed study on the recent-found immune cells in human body - innate lymphocytes (ILCs) and the findings are published in the journal Nature Immunology. Swedish scientists at Karolinska Institutet find three kind of immune cell subsets through analysis of gene expression of single tonsil cell and further reveal the function of these cells in vivo.

Inherent lymphocytes (ILCs) are a class only recently discovered in the human body's immune cells. Due to the current understanding about the inherent understanding of the majority of lymphocytes are derived from animal studies of the stomach and small intestine inflammation and infection. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the body's innate lymphocytes.

Previous studies have shown the inherent lymphocyte function for maintaining mucosal barrier is very important (mucosal lungs, small intestine and other mucosal sites against invading microorganisms with a first line of defense). Although there is increasing evidence that inflammation, bowel disease, asthma, and cancer are related to the intrinsic lymphocyte population, there remains a need for further studies on the basis of precise understanding of the specific role of innate lymphocytes.

Both studied human tonsil lymphocytes are inherent cooperation by the Rickard Sandberg and Jenny Mjsberg led the research team. So far, it has been characterized three major inherent human lymphocyte populations. In this study, research collaboration team used a novel technology that can allow scientists to classify human tonsil cells, and detecting the gene expression of these cells. In this way, the research team of hundreds of cells one by one classification, thereby discriminating between human tonsil cells inherent lymphocytes.

"We used cluster analysis techniques inherent lymphocytes into ILC1, ILC2, ILC3 and NK (natural killer cells) according to their respective gene expression profiling," Karolinska's Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine Sandberg Professor says. "Our analysis also found that some of ILCs expressed genes of unknown function, the function may indicate ILCs than before we know more."

By analyzing the gene expression profiles of individual cells (transcriptional profiling), researchers have known that previous discovery of a ILCs cell population can be further classified. "We have identified three new ILC3 subsets, which subsets have different patterns of gene expression, signaling molecules and therefore they have different responses and produce different protein", Mj Karolinska Institutet's Department of Pharmacy sberg said, "Overall, our research has told a lot about this uncharacterized cell knowledge, these data will be an important resource for other researchers."

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