Cui Chunyan, Cui Feifei, Zou Quan, Zhang Zilong, Jia Linpei
School of Computer Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
Mol Ther Nucleic Acids. 2025 May 30;36(3):102583. doi: 10.1016/j.omtn.2025.102583. eCollection 2025 Sep 9.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a critical syndrome characterized by rapid decline in renal function. During the previous ten years, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology has evolved from a groundbreaking method to a fundamental tool in life science research. By integrating data from cellular spatial positioning with molecular omics, single-cell spatial omics offers unparalleled insight into how heterogeneous cells assemble and interact, illuminating complex networks governing cellular behavior in tissues and organs and uncovering dynamic processes of cell-cell communication. Single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics have not only facilitated investigations of fundamental biological questions such as developmental differentiation but also enabled exploration of clinical issues such as cardiovascular diseases and tumor microenvironments, fundamentally transforming biomedical research paradigms. This review outlines the progression of sequencing methods, with emphasis on bulk RNA-seq, scRNA-seq, and spatially resolved transcriptomics. Additionally, we review relevant published studies to discuss the ongoing cutting-edge applications of single-cell transcriptomic profiling coupled with spatial omics in AKI research, focusing on cellular heterogeneity, personalized treatment, and other related research directions. Finally, we discuss current constraints of scRNA-seq coupled with spatial omics in AKI research. From a multi-dimensional analysis perspective, we studied scRNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics, highlighting their critical role in advancing AKI understanding.
急性肾损伤（AKI）是一种以肾功能迅速下降为特征的危急综合征。在过去十年中，单细胞RNA测序（scRNA-seq）技术已从一种开创性方法发展成为生命科学研究中的基本工具。通过将细胞空间定位数据与分子组学数据整合，单细胞空间组学提供了关于异质细胞如何组装和相互作用的无与伦比的见解，阐明了组织和器官中控制细胞行为的复杂网络，并揭示了细胞间通讯的动态过程。单细胞测序和空间转录组学不仅促进了对发育分化等基本生物学问题的研究，还使人们能够探索心血管疾病和肿瘤微环境等临床问题，从根本上改变了生物医学研究范式。本综述概述了测序方法的进展，重点介绍了批量RNA测序、scRNA测序和空间分辨转录组学。此外，我们回顾了相关已发表的研究，以讨论单细胞转录组分析与空间组学在AKI研究中的前沿应用，重点关注细胞异质性、个性化治疗和其他相关研究方向。最后，我们讨论了scRNA测序与空间组学在AKI研究中的当前局限性。从多维分析的角度，我们研究了scRNA测序和空间转录组学，突出了它们在推进对AKI理解方面的关键作用。
