Cytosplore: Interactive Visual Single-Cell Profiling of the Immune System

Abstract

Recent advances in single-cell acquisition technology have led to a shift towards single-cell analysis in many fields of biology. In immunology, detailed knowledge of the cellular composition is of interest, as it can be the cause of deregulated immune responses, which cause diseases. Similarly, vaccination is based on triggering proper immune responses; however, many vaccines are ineffective or only work properly in a subset of those who are vaccinated. Identifying differences in the cellular composition of the immune system in such cases can lead to more precise treatment. Cytosplore is an integrated, interactive visual analysis framework for the exploration of large single-cell datasets. We have developed Cytosplore in close collaboration with immunology researchers and several partners use the software in their daily workflow. Cytosplore enables efficient data analysis and has led to several discoveries alongside high-impact publications.