Single-cell analysis in living humans to understanding ocular disease mechanisms

Single-cell analysis in living humans is difficult for non-regenerative organs like the eye and brain due to biopsy damage. To solve this, Stanford researchers in the Mahajan Lab have integrated proteomics of liquid biopsies with single-cell transcriptomics from ocular cell types, tracing 5,953 proteins in the aqueous humor. They identified hundreds of cell-specific protein markers, revealing retinal degeneration in Parkinson's disease and stage-dependent cellular changes in diabetic retinopathy. AI models assessing cellular aging showed many eye diseases undergo accelerated molecular aging in specific cell types. This approach which can be applied to other organ systems, has the potential to transform molecular diagnostics and prognostics while uncovering new cellular disease and aging mechanisms

Stage of Development