Macrophage heterogeneity in the single-cell era: facts and artifacts
David Hume, Susan Millard, Allison R. Pettit
Abstract
In this spotlight, we review technical issues that compromise single-cell analysis of tissue macrophages, including limited and unrepresentative yields, fragmentation and generation of remnants, and activation during tissue disaggregation. These issues may lead to a misleading definition of subpopulations of macrophages and the expression of macrophage-specific transcripts by unrelated cells. Recognition of the technical limitations of single-cell approaches is required in order to map the full spectrum of tissue-resident macrophage heterogeneity and assess its biological significance.
Topics & Concepts
MacrophageBiologySingle-cell analysisCellImmunologyCell biologyComputational biologyGeneticsIn vitroSingle-cell and spatial transcriptomicsImmune cells in cancerNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms