Application of Single Cell Methods in Immunometabolism and Immunotoxicology

Abstract

Recent developments of novel single-cell analysis techniques have rapidly advanced the fields of immunotoxicology and immunometabolism. Single-cell analyses enable the characterization of immune cells, unraveling heterogeneity, and population dynamics in response to cellular perturbations, including toxicant insults and changes in cellular metabolism. This review provides an overview of current technologies and recent discoveries, illustrating an emerging role of single-cell analyses in the field of immunotoxicology and immunometabolism. Various single-cell techniques, including flow cytometry, mass cytometry, multiplexed imaging, and sequencing, together with their applications to studying immunotoxicology and immunometabolism are discussed. This review emphasizes the potential for single-cell analyses to revolutionize our understanding of immune cell heterogeneity, uncover novel cellular therapeutic targets, and pave the way for novel mechanistic insights.

Figure 1.. Molecular Targets of Single Cell Methods

A synopsis of the cellular compartments and corresponding molecular targets of single cell analysis methods is provided. For DNA, RNA, protein, and metabolites, the cellular locations are highlighted in bold. The names of single cell analysis methods associated with the molecular targets include those with dot boxes.