Heterogeneity in immune responses: from populations to single cells.

Trends Immunol
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

The mammalian immune system is tasked with protecting the host against a broad range of threats. Understanding how immune populations leverage cellular diversity to achieve this breadth and flexibility, particularly during dynamic processes such as differentiation and antigenic response, is a core challenge that is well suited for single cell analysis. Recent years have witnessed transformative and intersecting advances in nanofabrication and genomics that enable deep profiling of individual cells, affording exciting opportunities to study heterogeneity in the immune response at an unprecedented scope. In light of these advances, here we review recent work exploring how immune populations generate and leverage cellular heterogeneity at multiple molecular and phenotypic levels. Additionally, we highlight opportunities for single cell technologies to shed light on the causes and consequences of heterogeneity in the immune system.

Year of Publication
2014
Journal
Trends Immunol
Volume
35
Issue
5
Pages
219-29
Date Published
2014 May
ISSN
1471-4981
URL
DOI
10.1016/j.it.2014.03.004
PubMed ID
24746883
PubMed Central ID
PMC4035247
Links
Grant list
F32 HD075541 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
1F32HD075541-01 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States