UCLA

Key PointsThe recent significant advances in the development of single-cell analytical tools have enabled increasingly deep cellular analyses at the genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic levels.Genomic and transcriptomic methods utilize next-generation sequencing technologies, which complement protocols for improved quantification and cost-effective analyses of statistically significant numbers of single cells.Single-cell proteomics methods range from cytometry tools to microchip platforms. All these methods rely on antibodies, but different platforms yield different levels of quantification.Single-cell analyses reveal biology that is masked when cell populations or tissues are analysed. Illustrative examples include tracing the lineage of diseased cells back to the healthy tissue of origin, or a deep analysis of how targeted inhibitors can alter the structure of signalling pathways.Single-cell analysis tools are already playing important parts in drug discovery, particularly in the rapidly emerging field of cancer immunotherapy.