Application of single-cell trajectory analysis in single-cell transcriptomics to elucidate the biology of lung pericytes in injury, repair, and regeneration

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ABSTRACT Pericytes have been implicated in inflammation and fibrosis in a number of organs. Data from transcriptomic analyses of activated cultured lung pericytes reveal upregulation of multiple biological pathways including inflammation, angiogenic processes, and cell migration. The goal of this project is to understand the functional plasticity of lung pericytes throughout injury and in lung repair. We are interested in how lung pericytes modulate lung repair in lung fibrosis through angiogenesis and myofibroblast differentiation. In Aim 1, we propose to use state-of-the-art single cell trajectory analysis on single-cell transcriptomic data to describe the cell fate of lung pericytes from acute lung injury to fibrosis. In Aim 2, we propose to study selected stromal subpopulations derived from pericytes and non-pericyte-derived myofibroblasts during fibrosis to examine their functional differences ex vivo.