Dictionary of immune responses to cytokines at single-cell resolution. (10.1038/s41586-023-06816-9 [doi])

These scientists wanted to understand how different cells in our immune system communicate with each other. They focused on a group of molecules called cytokines, which play a big role in how our immune system works. They created something called the Immune Dictionary, which is like a big book that contains information about how different immune cells respond to different cytokines.

To make this Immune Dictionary, the scientists studied more than 17 different types of immune cells in mice. They exposed these cells to 86 different cytokines and looked at how the cells responded. They did this by looking at the genes that were turned on or off in each cell when it was exposed to a certain cytokine.

The scientists found that each cytokine caused a specific response in each type of immune cell. For example, one cytokine called interleukin-1beta caused different genes to turn on in almost every type of immune cell. They also discovered new states or conditions of immune cells that were caused by certain cytokines.

Using this Immune Dictionary, the scientists developed a special computer program called Immune Response Enrichment Analysis. This program helps scientists understand the effects of cytokines on immune cells by looking at their gene expression data. They used this program to study how cytokines affect the immune system in tumors after a type of therapy called immune checkpoint blockade.

Overall, this Immune Dictionary helps scientists learn more about how cytokines work, how they affect different immune cells, and how immune cells talk to each other. It also gives scientists new ideas and hypotheses to explore in future studies.

Cui A., Huang T., Li S., Ma A., Perez JL., Sander C., Keskin DB., Wu CJ., Fraenkel E., Hacohen N. Dictionary of immune responses to cytokines at single-cell resolution. Nature. 2024 Jan;625(7994):377-384. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06816-9. Epub 2023 Dec 6.