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Updated: Mar 20, 2026
Single-cell Analysis of Immunophenotype and Cytokine Production in Peripheral Whole Blood via Mass Cytometry
Published on: June 26, 2018
Deep Profiling Human T Cell Heterogeneity by Mass Cytometry
1Singapore Immunology Network, Agency of Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore; School of Biological Science, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
Insights
Mass cytometry and high-dimensional analysis reveal immune cell diversity. This review explores technologies and methods for understanding human T cell heterogeneity and function.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Mass cytometry and high-dimensional data analysis have revolutionized cellular immunology.
- These technologies enable detailed resolution of immune cell subset diversity and function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the progress of mass cytometry and high-dimensional cytometric analysis.
- To focus on their application in human T cell immunology.
Main Methods:
- Review of mass cytometry technology and high-dimensional data analysis.
- Discussion of methodology, panel design, and computational algorithms.
- Focus on interrogation of immune cell phenotypic and functional diversity.
Main Results:
- Mass cytometry has been instrumental in studying diverse cell types, including hematopoietic stem cells and CD8(+) T cells.
- Advances facilitate a deeper understanding of T cell heterogeneity.
- Current progress in mass cytometry and computational approaches are highlighted.
Conclusions:
- Mass cytometry coupled with high-dimensional analysis provides powerful tools for immunological research.
- These technologies are crucial for exploring human T cell immunology and diversity.
- The review provides insights into experimental approaches and computational strategies.
Abstract:
Advances of mass cytometry and high-dimensional single-cell data analysis have brought cellular immunological research into a new generation. By coupling these two powerful technology platforms, immunologists now have more tools to resolve the tremendous diversity of immune cell subsets, and their heterogeneous functionality. Since the first introduction of mass cytometry, many reports have been published using this novel technology to study a range of cell types. At the outset, studies of human hematopoietic stem cell and peripheral CD8(+) T cells using mass cytometry have shad the light of future experimental approach in interrogating immune cell phenotypic and functional diversity. Here, we briefly revisit the past and present understanding of T cell heterogeneity, and the technologies that facilitate this knowledge. In addition, we review the current progress of mass cytometry and high-dimensional cytometric analysis, including the methodology, panel design, experimental procedure, and choice of computational algorithms with a special focus on their utility in exploration of human T cell immunology.
