- Ma, Feiyang;
- Hughes, Travis K;
- Teles, Rosane MB;
- Andrade, Priscila R;
- de Andrade Silva, Bruno J;
- Plazyo, Olesya;
- Tsoi, Lam C;
- Do, Tran;
- Wadsworth, Marc H;
- Oulee, Aislyn;
- Ochoa, Maria Teresa;
- Sarno, Euzenir N;
- Iruela-Arispe, M Luisa;
- Klechevsky, Eynav;
- Bryson, Bryan;
- Shalek, Alex K;
- Bloom, Barry R;
- Gudjonsson, Johann E;
- Pellegrini, Matteo;
- Modlin, Robert L
Granulomas are complex cellular structures composed predominantly of macrophages and lymphocytes that function to contain and kill invading pathogens. Here, we investigated the single-cell phenotypes associated with antimicrobial responses in human leprosy granulomas by applying single-cell and spatial sequencing to leprosy biopsy specimens. We focused on reversal reactions (RRs), a dynamic process whereby some patients with disseminated lepromatous leprosy (L-lep) transition toward self-limiting tuberculoid leprosy (T-lep), mounting effective antimicrobial responses. We identified a set of genes encoding proteins involved in antimicrobial responses that are differentially expressed in RR versus L-lep lesions and regulated by interferon-γ and interleukin-1β. By integrating the spatial coordinates of the key cell types and antimicrobial gene expression in RR and T-lep lesions, we constructed a map revealing the organized architecture of granulomas depicting compositional and functional layers by which macrophages, T cells, keratinocytes and fibroblasts can each contribute to the antimicrobial response.