Narrowing Down Key Players in Autoimmunity via Single‐Cell Multiomics

PMCID: PMC12177686

PMID: 40534591

DOI: 10.1002/eji.202451233

Journal: European journal of immunology

Publication Date: 2025-6-19

Authors: Gjurgjaj A, Conde CD

Key Points

• Single-cell multiomics provides unprecedented insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying autoimmune diseases
• Emerging computational integration and deep-learning tools show promise for disease stratification and drug prioritization
• Future research should focus on tissue-specific genetic mechanisms and developing robust disease models

Summary

This review explores the transformative potential of single-cell multiomics technologies in understanding autoimmune disease mechanisms. By leveraging advanced sequencing techniques, researchers are now able to achieve unprecedented molecular resolution in mapping autoimmune processes, particularly focusing on identifying disease-associated cell states and cellular communication networks linked to specific autoimmunity susceptibility genetic loci.

The review highlights three strategic domains where single-cell technologies are making significant impacts: (1) detailed molecular phenotyping of cells in patient tissues, (2) novel strategies connecting genetic association data with cellular phenotypes, and (3) integrative analysis of antigen specificity data using high-resolution sequencing methods. The authors anticipate that expanding these approaches to larger, longitudinal cohorts will enable more systematic exploration of patient heterogeneity and disease trajectories.