Impact of single-cell RNA sequencing on understanding immune regulation

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), one of the most powerful technologies, can describe the transcriptomic heterogeneity of single cells and reveal previously unreported cell types or states in complex tissues. With the rapid development of scRNA-seq, it has renewed our view of cellular heterogeneity and its significance for deeply understanding cell development and function. There are a large number of studies applying scRNA-seq to investigate the heterogeneity of immune cells and disease pathogenesis, focusing on differences among every individual cell, which have provided novel inspiration for disease therapy and biological processes. In this review, we describe the development of scRNA-seq and its application in immune-related physiological states, regulatory mechanisms and diseases. In addition, we further discuss the opportunities and challenges of scRNA-seq in immune regulation.