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REVIEW article

Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Biosensors and Biomolecular Electronics
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1507460

Deciphering Cellular Complexity: Advances and Future Directions in Single-Cell Protein Analysis

Provisionally accepted
Qirui ZHAO Qirui ZHAO Shan Li Shan Li *Leonard Krall Leonard Krall *Qianyu Li Qianyu Li *Rongyuan Sun Rongyuan Sun *Yuqi Yin Yuqi Yin *Jingyi Fu Jingyi Fu *Xu Zhang Xu Zhang *Yonghua Wang Yonghua Wang *Mei Yang Mei Yang *
  • Yunnan University, Kunming, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Single-cell protein analysis has emerged as a powerful tool for understanding cellular heterogeneity and deciphering the complex mechanisms governing cellular function and fate. This review provides a comprehensive examination of the latest methodologies, including sophisticated cell isolation techniques (Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting (FACS), Magnetic-Activated Cell Sorting (MACS), Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM), manual cell picking, and microfluidics) and advanced approaches for protein profiling and protein-protein interaction analysis. The unique strengths, limitations, and opportunities of each method are discussed, along with their contributions to unraveling gene regulatory networks, cellular states, and disease mechanisms. The importance of data analysis and computational methods in extracting meaningful biological insights from the complex data generated by these technologies is also highlighted. By discussing recent progress, technological innovations, and potential future directions, this review emphasizes the critical role of single-cell protein analysis in advancing life science research and its promising applications in precision medicine, biomarker discovery, and targeted therapeutics. Deciphering cellular complexity at the single-cell level holds immense potential for transforming our understanding of biological processes and ultimately improving human health.

    Keywords: protein-protein interaction, Proteomics, Single-Cell Analysis, Single-Cell isolation, Conventional approaches

    Received: 07 Oct 2024; Accepted: 19 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 ZHAO, Li, Krall, Li, Sun, Yin, Fu, Zhang, Wang and Yang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Shan Li, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
    Leonard Krall, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
    Qianyu Li, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
    Rongyuan Sun, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
    Yuqi Yin, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
    Jingyi Fu, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
    Xu Zhang, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
    Yonghua Wang, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
    Mei Yang, Yunnan University, Kunming, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.