An introduction to spatial transcriptomics for biomedical research

🤖 Plain-English Summary

Single-cell transcriptomics (scRNA-seq) has become essential for biomedical research over the past decade, particularly in developmental biology, cancer, immunology, and neuroscience. Spatial -omics methods are already improving our understanding of human tissues in research, diagnostic, and therapeutic settings.

🔑 Key Findings

• Most commercially available scRNA-seq protocols require cells to be recovered intact and viable from tissue.
• This has precluded many cell types from study and largely destroys the spatial context that could otherwise inform analyses of cell identity and function.
• An increasing number of commercially available platforms now facilitate spatially resolved, high-dimensional assessment of gene transcription, known as 'spatial transcriptomics'.

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