ABSTRACT
The development of multiomic profiling tools has rapidly expanded in recent years, along with their use in profiling skin tissues in various contexts, including dermatologic diseases. Among these tools, single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics (ST) have emerged as widely adopted and powerful assays for elucidating key cellular components and their spatial arrangement within skin disease. In this paper, we review the recent biological insights gained from the use of scRNA-seq and ST and the advantages of combining both for profiling skin diseases, including aberrant wound healing, inflammatory skin diseases, and cancer. We discuss the role of scRNA-seq and ST in improving skin disease treatments and moving toward the goal of achieving precision medicine in dermatology, whereby patients can be optimally matched to treatments that maximize therapeutic response.
ABSTRACT
Transcriptome profiling of tissues and single cells facilitates interrogation of gene expression changes within diverse biological contexts. However, spatial information is often lost during tissue homogenization or dissociation. Recent advances in transcriptome profiling preserve the in situ spatial contexts of RNA molecules and together comprise a group of techniques known as spatial transcriptomics (ST), enabling localization of cell types and their associated gene expression within intact tissues. In this paper, we review ST methods; summarize data analysis approaches, including integration with single-cell transcriptomics data; and discuss their applications in dermatologic research. These tools offer a promising avenue toward improving our understanding of niche patterning and cellâcell interactions within heterogeneous tissues that encompass skin homeostasis and disease.
