A major new initiative, launched today (15 April), will map how gene activity shapes the immune system, and could help identify new therapeutic targets for conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
Scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, in collaboration with Pacific Biosciences (PacBio), will use advanced long-read sequencing technology to profile gene expression at single-cell resolution. By applying this technology to nearly 1,500 blood and gut tissue samples from three major ongoing studies, researchers will be able to capture not only the extent to which genes are expressed but also which versions, known as isoforms, of each gene are used.
This approach will provide high-resolution maps of RNA expression and splicing across different cell types, tissues, and individuals. These insights could prove critical to gaining a complete understanding of human health conditions and reveal why some treatments work better for certain people.
This project marks a pivotal step as it is the first time that the Institute will use long-read single-cell RNA sequencing at scale. The team will analyse samples from three of the Sanger Institute’s ongoing studies. Two of these, IBDverse and IBD-Response1, aim to uncover new ways to treat IBD, a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract that is estimated to affect up to 10 million people worldwide2. By sequencing cells from individuals both with and without the condition, researchers hope to identify RNA isoforms linked to IBD susceptibility, progression, and response to treatment.
Credit: Welcome Sanga Institute.