Grace Burgin, Noga Rogel & Moshe Biton, Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute
Part of a human small intestine, seen under an ultra-powerful microscope
What if we could see every part of our body, down to the genes and tiny cells that make up our organs? It is now possible, and it will help us diagnose diseases.
Compares the Atlas of Human Cells to a GPS. When it is built, it will be possible to discover how cells evolve over time, and to understand the human body microscopically.
But this utopia is getting closer to becoming real — this Atlas is actually being created, using increasingly powerful microscopes. One, published in 40 different studies, may answer great scientific mysteries, such as the formation of bones and the development of arthritis and Crohn’s disease.
The new Atlas under construction already has 100 million cells of more than 10,000 people, but scientists hope the final atlas will include thousands of million of cells.
“It is new level of knowledge of specific genesmechanisms and tissue cell types is laying the foundation for more accurate diagnoses, for the discovery of innovative medicines and advanced approaches to regenerative medicine”, said professor Sarah Teichmannfounding co-president of the Human Cell Atlas.
Another discovery of the project concerns . Combining data from 1.6 million cells, researchers created a intricate map of cells present in the intestineincluding their type, location and how they interact with the body. It is the most complete map of its kind ever built.
According to Science Focus, researchers isolated individual cells and used a combination of computer analysis and AI to identify them.
Scientists want to use what we already use in everyday life: the “reverse image search” system — that is, upload an image to a search engine instead of words to search for information about it (a kind of Google Lens).
Researchers can now use a similar process to help specialists diagnose diseases.
