FunRes

FunRes identifies tissue-specific functional cell states from single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) by reconstructing cell-cell communication networks to elucidate roles in tissue function and pathology.

Key Features:

• Cell-Cell Communication Network Model: Reconstructs tissue-specific cell-cell communication networks from scRNA-seq data to define functional interactions among cells.
• Identification of Functional Cell States: Partitions each annotated cell type into distinct functional states based on their interactions and positions within the reconstructed network.
• Application Across Multiple Tissues: Applied to 177 cell types across 10 tissues to evaluate cross-tissue applicability.
• Correlation with Known Functional States: Maps identified functional states to previously characterized tissue-specific functional states for validation.
• Characterization of Dynamic Changes: Characterizes emergence, disappearance, and shifts of functional cell states associated with aging and disease.

Scientific Applications:

• Tissue Function Analysis: Dissects contributions of network-defined functional cell states to normal tissue physiology.
• Disease Mechanism Exploration: Identifies altered or dysfunctional functional states and their network interactions to inform studies of disease mechanisms.
• Aging Research: Tracks changes in functional cell states over aging to reveal shifts in tissue functional landscapes.

Methodology:

Starts from scRNA-seq data, reconstructs a cell-cell communication network for each tissue, and partitions cells into functional states based on that network for comparison across health, disease, and aging.