Drivers of heterogeneity in synovial fibroblasts in rheumatoid arthritis.

Publication Type Academic Article
Authors Smith M, Gao V, Periyakoil P, Kochen A, DiCarlo E, Goodman S, Norman T, Donlin L, Leslie C, Rudensky A
Journal Nat Immunol
Volume 24
Issue 7
Pagination 1200-1210
Date Published 06/05/2023
ISSN 1529-2916
Keywords Arthritis, Rheumatoid
Abstract Inflammation of non-barrier immunologically quiescent tissues is associated with a massive influx of blood-borne innate and adaptive immune cells. Cues from the latter are likely to alter and expand activated states of the resident cells. However, local communications between immigrant and resident cell types in human inflammatory disease remain poorly understood. Here, we explored drivers of fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS) heterogeneity in inflamed joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis using paired single-cell RNA and ATAC sequencing, multiplexed imaging and spatial transcriptomics along with in vitro modeling of cell-extrinsic factor signaling. These analyses suggest that local exposures to myeloid and T cell-derived cytokines, TNF, IFN-γ, IL-1β or lack thereof, drive four distinct FLS states some of which closely resemble fibroblast states in other disease-affected tissues including skin and colon. Our results highlight a role for concurrent, spatially distributed cytokine signaling within the inflamed synovium.
DOI 10.1038/s41590-023-01527-9
PubMed ID 37277655
PubMed Central ID PMC10307631
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