The human body is made up of more than 37 trillion cells and each type has a specific function that we need to know to understand the complete puzzle. This is the objective of the project Human Cell Atlas (HCA), which started in 2016 with the participation of more than 3,600 researchers from 102 countries.
Although data on 530,000 immune system cells (from bone marrow and umbilical cord blood) and an atlas of liver cells had already been published, the project has just taken a huge leap forward with the publication this Wednesday of a collection of more than 40 articles in the group’s magazines Nature.
The research leverages new data and analytical tools, some based on artificial intelligence, to advance three key areas: human development tissues (such as skull bones and hip, knee and shoulder joints), the search for similarities between cells through machine learning and the creation of the first atlas of the gastrointestinal tract.
The basis for new diagnoses
“The Human Cell Atlas is a global initiative that is already transforming our understanding of human health,” he says. Sarah Teichmannfounding co-chair of the consortium and researcher at the University of Cambridge. “By creating a comprehensive reference map of the healthy human body (a sort of ‘Google Maps’ for cell biology), it establishes a reference point for detecting and understanding the changes that underlie health and disease.”
In Teichmann’s opinion, this new level of knowledge about specific genes, mechanisms and cell types within tissues is laying the foundation for more precise diagnoses, innovative drug discoveries and advanced regenerative medicine approaches.
The atlas establishes a benchmark for detecting and understanding the changes underlying health and disease
Sarah Teichmann
— Founding co-chair of the consortium and researcher at the University of Cambridge.
One of the best examples is the cell atlas of the human intestine now being published, which covers the tissues of the mouth to the esophagus, stomach, intestines and colon, and also includes data from people with inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s. This colossal work has identified a type of intestinal cell that may be involved in intestinal inflammation, providing a valuable resource to investigate and ultimately treat conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s itself.
The new collection of articles also includes new maps of human tissues during development. Among them, the first map of human skeletal development, which reveals how the skeleton is formed, sheds light on the origins of arthritis and identifies the cells involved in skeletal diseases. The team mapped all the cells critical for skull formation and investigated how genetic mutations can cause soft spots in newborns’ skulls to fuse too early, restricting growth of the developing brain. In the future, these cells could be used as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets to identify and treat congenital conditions.
They also found certain genes activated in early bone cells that could be linked to an increased risk of developing hip arthritis in adulthood. In the future, studying these different cells further could help develop new treatments for these conditions. On the other hand, an additional study describes an atlas of the first trimester placenta, which includes information about the genetic programs that control how the placenta develops and how it functions to provide nutrients and protection to the embryo.
Furthermore, an integrated atlas of brain organoid cells, developed by Barbara Treutlein and colleagues, provides insight into how effectively organoids capture aspects of the developing brain. These advances are added to other scientific initiatives that have already been reported. elDiario.essuch as the recent publication of the first complete atlas of the fly brain, or the characterization, by the BRAIN initiative, of more than 3,000 types of human brain cells that reveal the characteristics that distinguish us from other primates.
A milestone and an ethical challenge
For Iago Rodríguez-Lagogastroenterologist at the Galdakao-Usansolo University Hospital, these works constitute a significant advance towards the construction of the most detailed map of the cell types of the human body known so far. As a specialist, he especially values the creation of an atlas of the cellular populations of the digestive tract.
It is a great opportunity to search for new treatment targets and measures that are as individualized as possible for each person.
Iago Rodríguez-Lago
— Gastroenterologist at Galdakao-Usansolo University Hospital
“These discoveries underline the importance of addressing inflammation at the cellular level and establish a basis for applying these perspectives to other tissues and inflammatory diseases, marking a milestone in the search for innovative treatments,” says Rodríguez Lago in statements to the SMC. This, in his opinion, opens “a great opportunity to search for new treatment targets and to apply measures that are as individualized as possible for each person.”
The ethical implications of the HCA’s work are of great relevance precisely because, by analyzing more than 100 million cells from more than 10,000 people, it paves the way towards personalized medicine adapted to the genetic and cellular composition of each individual.
Our commitment is to ensure that the benefits of this atlas reach all people, regardless of their geographic location or background.
Roderic Guigo
— CRG researcher and co-chair of the HCA Ethics Working Group
“Understanding human health requires studying all of humanity, not just a fraction,” he says. Roderic Guigoresearcher at the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) who co-chairs the consortium’s Ethics Working Group. “Our commitment is to ensure that the benefits of this atlas reach all people, regardless of their geographic location or background. This involves addressing cultural and legal differences between countries.”
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