Functional analysis of cell plasticity using single-cell technologies.
Xiao Qin1, Christopher J Tape2
1MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.
Trends in Cell Biology
|February 14, 2024
Summary
Cellular plasticity allows cells to change fate, crucial for healing and disease. New technologies are advancing our understanding of this non-genetic cell behavior in complex organisms.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Metazoans possess diverse cell types derived from a single genome via differentiation.
- Cellular plasticity enables cell fate alteration in response to external signals, impacting wound healing, infection, and cancer.
- Recent technological advancements have revitalized research into cell plasticity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define cell plasticity.
- To evaluate current model systems and techniques for studying cell-fate dynamics.
- To explore how single-cell technologies can provide functional insights into cell plasticity in health and disease.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature and technologies.
- Analysis of state-of-the-art model systems.
- Application of high-dimensional single-cell technologies and lineage tracing.
- Integration of biomimetic model systems and high-throughput perturbation studies.
Main Results:
- Discussion on the definition and scope of cell plasticity.
- Evaluation of various model systems and techniques for studying cell-fate dynamics.
- Exploration of single-cell technologies for functional insights into plasticity.
- Highlighting the synergistic potential of integrated approaches.
Conclusions:
- The integration of advanced biomimetic models, single-cell technologies, and perturbation studies marks a new era in studying non-genetic plasticity.
- Understanding cell plasticity is key to addressing processes in healthy and diseased tissues.
- Further research using these integrated approaches will deepen our knowledge of metazoan cell-fate dynamics.
