Insights gained from single-cell sequencing analysis of ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke represents a significant global health hazard, causing substantial morbidity, mortality, and long-term disability worldwide. The brain's complexity necessitates targeting ischemic stroke dysfunction syndrome. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) offers unbiased, high-resolution analysis of cell heterogeneity, revealing cellular markers and types. Limited therapeutic options and drug discovery hinder stroke treatment, but scRNA-seq provides insights into new targets and biomarkers. Since 2019, over 50 studies on scRNA-seq in ischemic stroke have been published. This review summarizes ischemic stroke research based on scRNA-seq technology, detailing stroke features from various perspectives. We tabulated 22 brain and 7 blood cell types post-stroke. 13 cell types that frequently reported in ischemic stroke and undergone extensive heterogeneity studies were summarized. A summary was given of investigations into subcluster categorization, function-related subclusters, and newly discovered subclusters from scRNA-seq. Immune cell or non-immune cellular interactions and their regulatory influences were also explored. Additionally, the review covered age-related issues, advantages and disadvantages, technological innovations, and scope in ischemic stroke. Despite the moniker "single-cell," the analysis transcends individual entities, acknowledging the systemic variability of cellular types. Single-cell sequencing technologies, by their nature, interrogate entire tissues, distilling information from thousands of cells into a comprehensive average. Looking ahead, there is anticipation for broader scRNA-seq application in ischemic stroke research, promising deeper understanding of cellular complexities.