# A spatially resolved atlas of the human lung characterizes a gland-associated immune niche

Article · Madissoon E, Oliver AJ, Kleshchevnikov V, Wilbrey-Clark A, Polanski K, Richoz N, Ribeiro Orsi A, Mamanova L, Bolt L, Elmentaite R, Pett JP, Huang N, Xu C, He P, Dabrowska M, Pritchard S, Tuck L, Prigmore E, Perera S, Knights A, Oszlanczi A, Hunter A, Vieira SF, Patel M, Lindeboom RGH and 15 more

- Archive id: doi:10.1038/s41588-022-01243-4
- Published: 2022-12-21
- Venue: Nature genetics
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-022-01243-4
- PMID: 36543915
- PMCID: PMC9839452
- Citations: 211
- Source URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-022-01243-4
- PDF: https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC9839452/pdf
- Provenance: europepmc

## Abstract

Single-cell transcriptomics has allowed unprecedented resolution of cell types/states in the human lung, but their spatial context is less well defined. To (re)define tissue architecture of lung and airways, we profiled five proximal-to-distal locations of healthy human lungs in depth using multi-omic single cell/nuclei and spatial transcriptomics (queryable at lungcellatlas.org ). Using computational data integration and analysis, we extend beyond the suspension cell paradigm and discover macro and micro-anatomical tissue compartments including previously unannotated cell types in the epithelial, vascular, stromal and nerve bundle micro-environments. We identify and implicate peribronchial fibroblasts in lung disease. Importantly, we discover and validate a survival niche for IgA plasma cells in the airway submucosal glands (SMG). We show that gland epithelial cells recruit B cells and IgA plasma cells, and promote longevity and antibody secretion locally through expression of CCL28, APRIL and IL-6. This new 'gland-associated immune niche' has implications for respiratory health.

_Abstract reproduced under CC-BY (article license as recorded by Europe PMC; abstract reproduced unmodified apart from markup removal)._

Topics: [Single-Cell & Spatial Omics](https://space-kitty.com/topics/single-cell-spatial)

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