The Human Cell Atlas: making ‘cell space’ for disease, 2019, Ponting

[Andy]

ABSTRACT
A single change in DNA, RNA, proteins or cellular images can be useful as a biomarker of disease onset or progression. With high-throughput molecular phenotyping of single cells, it is now conceivable that the molecular changes occurring across thousands, or tens of thousands, of individual cells could additionally be considered as a disease biomarker. Transition to a disease state would then be reflected by the shifts in cell numbers and locations across a multidimensional space that is defined by the molecular content of cells. Realising this ambition requires a robust formulation of such a multidimensional ‘cell space’. This is one of the goals of the recently launched Human Cell Atlas project. A second goal is to populate this ‘cell space’ with all cell types in the human body. Here, I consider the potential of the Human Cell Atlas project for improving our description and understanding of the cell-type specificity of disease.

Open access at http://dmm.biologists.org/content/early/2019/01/14/dmm.037622

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

I hate to be a killjoy but I think we used to do this forty years ago. It was called histochemistry done by people with a solid histological training. All the complex pattern identification functions were done by what Turing called 'computers' - human brains. They are quite good at it! We sorted out RA by looking at complex biochemical patters across a cell space called a microscope slide. That in the end allowed us to work out a system dynamics for a disease with 55 linked steps.

 

[Barry]

The first draft of the Atlas is expected to profile 30- to 100-million cells and their matching tissues.

Is this a clue? Presumably analysis of such large numbers would only be feasible using modern computing power?

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

Is this a clue? Presumably analysis of such large numbers would only be feasible using modern computing power?

A histologist's eye regularly analyses tens of millions of cells without even thinking.

 

[Snowdrop]

I just came upon this separately from this thread.
Here is a link to the project.

The Human Cell Atlas will impact almost every aspect of biology and medicine, ultimately leading to a richer understanding of life’s most fundamental units and principles.