Abstract
Kidney is a highly complex organ comprised of diverse cell types and subpopulations. This cellular complexity complicates efforts to understand both physiology and disease mechanisms. The recent advent of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technologies has enabled us to dissect the cellular heterogeneity of kidney in unprecedented detail by profiling transcriptomic signatures at single-cell resolution. In addition to the widely used droplet microfluidics-based approaches, other alternative methods such as split-pool barcoding are emerging with substantially enhanced throughput and cost efficiency. Furthermore, evolving complementary technologies such as single-cell epigenetic profiling are now being leveraged together with scRNA-seq to describe comprehensive gene regulatory networks. Cell-specific transcriptomic characterizations of both mouse and human kidneys allow us to gain a comprehensive picture of biological processes in healthy and diseased kidneys. Successful application of scRNA-seq to biosamples including urine cells suggests possible future applications in diagnostics and precision medicine. The maturation of widely available bioinformatic tools now enables any researcher to utilize scRNA-seq without a deep background in informatics or computer science. Indeed, a basic understanding of single-cell omics and computational methods is increasingly becoming essential for investigators. In this chapter, we review the fundamentals of scRNA-seq methods, data analysis and future opportunities for scRNA-seq in nephrology.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Innovations in Nephrology |
Subtitle of host publication | Breakthrough Technologies in Kidney Disease Care |
Publisher | Springer International Publishing |
Pages | 87-102 |
Number of pages | 16 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9783031115707 |
ISBN (Print) | 9783031115691 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2022 |
Keywords
- High-throughput nucleotide sequencing
- Kidney diseases
- Organoids
- RNA sequence analysis
- Single-cell analysis