Influenza vaccination features revealed by a single-cell transcriptome atlas

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Virology
• Genomics

Background:

• Emerging viruses like influenza present ongoing global health challenges.
• Vaccination is a key strategy, but single-cell immune responses to influenza vaccines are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a single-cell transcriptome atlas of peripheral immune responses to inactivated influenza vaccination.
• To elucidate the detailed immunological mechanisms following influenza immunization.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal collection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from individuals receiving influenza vaccine.
• Single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze transcriptomic changes across immune cell subsets.

Main Results:

• Influenza vaccination induced significant global transcriptomic changes in multiple immune cell subsets, especially B cells, impacting antibody production and differentiation.
• A transient reduction in interferon response, inflammatory response, and cytotoxicity was observed 7 days post-vaccination, returning to baseline by 14 days.
• No significant upregulation of pro-inflammatory or thrombosis-related genes was detected.

Conclusions:

• Influenza vaccination elicits a complex, dynamic peripheral immune response at the single-cell level.
• This study provides a valuable resource for understanding the immunological mechanisms of influenza vaccines and guiding future vaccine development.