Visualization of cardiovascular development, physiology and disease at the single-cell level: Opportunities and future challenges

Abstract

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), a method of transcriptome sequencing at the single-cell level, has recently emerged as a revolutionary technology in the field of biomedical research. Compared to conventional gene expression profiling in bulk, scRNA-seq resolves biological differences among individual cells and enables the identification of rare cell populations that are easily overlooked. This review introduces the method of scRNA-seq, summarizes its applications in the field of cardiovascular disease research, and discusses existing limitations and prospects for future applications.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Macrophage polarization; Melatonin; Multiomics analysis; Single-cell sequencing analysis; Vulnerable plaques.