Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and fatal lung disease characterized by irreversible scarring of the distal lung, leading to respiratory failure. Currently, there is no cure for the disease and while studies have pointed to possible distinguishing molecular features, high-resolution cellular insights are still needed.
Harnessing technologies such as single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) may enable a better understanding of the cellular and molecular processes that determine the IPF lung phenotype, and lead to the identification of novel, cell type-specific therapies and biomarkers.
In this webinar, Dr. Naftali Kaminski of Yale University will describe research that leveraged scRNA-seq to uncover the diversity and complexity of aberrant cellular populations in the IPF lung.
Dr. Naftali Kaminski will discuss details of the study and its findings, including:
- Steps to generate a comprehensive IPF lung cell atlas from 312,928 cells collected from human IPF lungs, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease lungs, and control donor lungs
- Identification of a previously undescribed aberrant basaloid cell type highly expressing genes implicated in the pathogenesis of IPF and marked by features characteristic of cells involved in distal airway development and repair
- Resulting hypotheses on the relationships between the transcriptional profiles of cells identified in IPF lung tissues, function, localization in tissue, and disease pathophysiology
