Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing Reveals New Basic and Translational Insights in the Cystic Fibrosis Lung.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multisystemic, autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene with the majority of morbidity and mortality extending from lung disease. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) has been leveraged in the lung and elsewhere in the body to articulate discrete cell populations, describing cell types, states, and lineages as well as their roles in health and disease. In this perspective translational review, we provide an overview of the current applications of scRNA-seq to the study of the normal and CF lungs, allowing for the beginning of a new cellular and molecular narrative of CF lung disease, and highlight some of the future opportunities to further leverage scRNA-seq and complementary single-cell technologies in the study of CF as we bridge from scientific understanding to clinical application.