A 'Wikipedia' for Cells: The Human Cell Atlas

The Human Cell Atlas (HCA) project, launched in 2016 by biologists Aviv Regev and Sarah Teichmann, aims to catalog every cell type in the human body, from development to old age. This ambitious initiative has now released a significant collection of studies, representing a major step towards assembling a first draft atlas. ??

Key Highlights:

1. Massive Data Collection: Thanks to around 9,000 donors worldwide, the HCA teams have data on approximately 62 million human cells, categorized into 18 biological networks, including the nervous system, lungs, heart, gut, and immune system. ??
2. Understanding Health and Disease: The atlas enhances researchers' understanding of how the body works in both health and disease. It provides insights into the location of specific cells, the genes they express, and the epigenetic markers they carry. ??
3. Diverse Contributions: The project involves over 3,000 scientists from around 1,700 institutions in about 100 countries, ensuring a diverse and comprehensive dataset. ??
4. Future Goals: While the current data is a significant achievement, the HCA aims to map billions of cells to fully understand human biology. Continued funding and commitment from public and philanthropic organizations are essential for the project's success. ??

The HCA is often described as the "Google Maps of the human body" or the "periodic table of cells," providing an open-access resource for the scientific community. ??

Resources :

A ‘Wikipedia for cells’: researchers get an updated look at the Human Cell Atlas, and it’s remarkable

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