A reference cell tree will serve science better than a reference cell atlas.
Cell
; 186(6): 1103-1114, 2023 03 16.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36931241
ABSTRACT
Single-cell biology is facing a crisis of sorts. Vast numbers of single-cell molecular profiles are being generated, clustered and annotated. However, this is overwhelmingly ad hoc, and we continue to lack a principled, unified, and well-moored system for defining, naming, and organizing cell types. In this perspective, we argue against an atlas or periodic table-like discretization as the right metaphor for a reference taxonomy of cell types. In its place, we advocate for a data-driven, tree-based nomenclature that is rooted in a "consensus ontogeny" spanning the life cycle of a given species. We explore how such a reference cell tree, inclusive of both lineage histories and molecular states, could be constructed, represented, and segmented in practice. Analogous to the taxonomic classification of species, a consensus ontogeny would provide a universal, stable, and extendable framework for precise scientific communication, both contemporaneously and across the ages.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Cytology
Language:
En
Journal:
Cell
Year:
2023
Document type:
Article