2018/04/20 by Alexandra–Chloé Villani, Siranush Sarkizova, Nir Hacohen · 2 citations
Immunology and Microbiology · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #T-cell and B-cell Immunology #Immune Cell Function and Interaction #Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
paper · doi:10.1146/annurev-immunol-042617-053035
openalex publication_date 2018/04/20 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Given the many cell types and molecular components of the human immune system, along with vast variations across individuals, how should we go about developing causal and predictive explanations of immunity? A central strategy in human studies is to leverage natural variation to find relationships among variables, including DNA variants, epigenetic states, immune phenotypes, clinical descriptors, and others. Here, we focus on how natural variation is used to find patterns, infer principles, and develop predictive models for two areas: (a) immune cell activation-how single-cell profiling boosts our ability to discover immune cell types and states-and (b) antigen presentation and recognition-how models can be generated to predict presentation of antigens on MHC molecules and their detection by T cell receptors. These are two examples of a shift in how we find the drivers and targets of immunity, especially in the human system in the context of health and disease.