Nature Communications (Oct 2024)

High-parametric protein maps reveal the spatial organization in early-developing human lung

  • Sanem Sariyar,
  • Alexandros Sountoulidis,
  • Jan Niklas Hansen,
  • Sergio Marco Salas,
  • Mariya Mardamshina,
  • Anna Martinez Casals,
  • Frederic Ballllosera Navarro,
  • Zaneta Andrusivova,
  • Xiaofei Li,
  • Paulo Czarnewski,
  • Joakim Lundeberg,
  • Sten Linnarsson,
  • Mats Nilsson,
  • Erik Sundström,
  • Christos Samakovlis,
  • Emma Lundberg,
  • Burcu Ayoglu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53752-x
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 1
pp. 1 – 19

Abstract

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Abstract The respiratory system, including the lungs, is essential for terrestrial life. While recent research has advanced our understanding of lung development, much still relies on animal models and transcriptome analyses. In this study conducted within the Human Developmental Cell Atlas (HDCA) initiative, we describe the protein-level spatiotemporal organization of the lung during the first trimester of human gestation. Using high-parametric tissue imaging with a 30-plex antibody panel, we analyzed human lung samples from 6 to 13 post-conception weeks, generating data from over 2 million cells across five developmental timepoints. We present a resource detailing spatially resolved cell type composition of the developing human lung, including proliferative states, immune cell patterns, spatial arrangement traits, and their temporal evolution. This represents an extensive single-cell resolved protein-level examination of the developing human lung and provides a valuable resource for further research into the developmental roots of human respiratory health and disease.