Dissecting genetic determinants of variation in human immune responses. (August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tong, Orion; Fairfax, Benjamin P
• Is Part Of: Current opinion in immunology. Volume 65(2020)
• Page Start: 74
• Page End: 78
• Publication Date: 2020-08
• Subjects: Immunology -- Periodicals; Allergy -- Periodicals; Immunology -- Abstracts -- Periodicals; Allergy -- Abstracts -- Periodicals; 616.079
• DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2020.05.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0952-7915

Abstract

Highlights: Variation in human immunity is determined both by the proportion of immune cell subsets and their respective expression profiles. Single cell technologies can help to delineate how genomic modulators of immunity act—either by modifying expression in total cell populations or smaller subsets. An area of future investigation is examining quantitative trait loci associations in clinical disease cohorts. These are both influenced to a lesser or greater extent by genetic variation. Abstract : The immune system is paradigmatic for a complex arrangement of heterogenous cells performing distinct, frequently temporally and anatomically dissociated, functions. Immune dysfunction is a common characteristic across most diseases and human genetic approaches have revealed that many disease risk loci are associated with expression profiles and counts of specific immune subsets. Furthermore, genetic regulators of immune function may only demonstrate activity in specific disease-linked contexts. Here we explore steps taken to dissect the genetic determinants of variation in immune response across cell counts and function, and the insights these have provided into human immunity.