Neuroimmunology Unit, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Commun Biol. 2022 Oct 20;5(1):1114. doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-04081-6.
High dimensional single-cell analysis such as single cell and single nucleus RNA sequencing (sc/snRNAseq) are currently being widely applied to explore microglia diversity. The use of sc/snRNAseq provides a powerful and unbiased approach to deconvolve heterogeneous cellular populations. However, sc/snRNAseq and analyses pipelines are designed to find heterogeneity. Indeed, cellular heterogeneity is often the most frequently reported finding. In this Perspective, we consider the ubiquitous concept of heterogeneity focusing on its application to microglia research and its influence on the field of neuroimmunology. We suggest that a clear understanding of the semantic and biological implications of microglia heterogeneity is essential for mitigating confusion among researchers.
高维单细胞分析，如单细胞和单核 RNA 测序（sc/snRNAseq），目前被广泛应用于探索小胶质细胞的多样性。sc/snRNAseq 的使用为分解异质细胞群体提供了一种强大而无偏的方法。然而，sc/snRNAseq 和分析管道旨在发现异质性。事实上，细胞异质性通常是最常报道的发现。在本观点中，我们考虑了异质性的普遍概念，重点关注其在小胶质细胞研究中的应用及其对神经免疫学领域的影响。我们认为，清楚地理解小胶质细胞异质性的语义和生物学含义对于减轻研究人员之间的困惑至关重要。
