Single-cell transcriptomic characterization of microscopic colitis

Abstract Microscopic colitis (MC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the large intestine and a common cause of chronic diarrhea in older adults. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of colonic mucosal tissue to build a cellular and molecular model for MC. Our results show that in MC, t...

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Main Authors: Stefan Halvorsen, Molly Thomas, Mari Mino-Kenudson, Yuko Kinowaki, Kristin E. Burke, David Morgan, Kaia C. Miller, Katherine M. Williams, Jenny Gurung, Jessica McGoldrick, Megan Hopton, Brooke Hoppe, Nandini Samanta, Sidney Martin, Alice Tirard, Benjamin Y. Arnold, Jessica Tantivit, Joseph Yarze, Kyle Staller, Daniel C. Chung, Alexandra-Chloé Villani, Slim Sassi, Hamed Khalili
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59648-8
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author Stefan Halvorsen
Molly Thomas
Mari Mino-Kenudson
Yuko Kinowaki
Kristin E. Burke
David Morgan
Kaia C. Miller
Katherine M. Williams
Jenny Gurung
Jessica McGoldrick
Megan Hopton
Brooke Hoppe
Nandini Samanta
Sidney Martin
Alice Tirard
Benjamin Y. Arnold
Jessica Tantivit
Joseph Yarze
Kyle Staller
Daniel C. Chung
Alexandra-Chloé Villani
Slim Sassi
Hamed Khalili
author_facet Stefan Halvorsen
Molly Thomas
Mari Mino-Kenudson
Yuko Kinowaki
Kristin E. Burke
David Morgan
Kaia C. Miller
Katherine M. Williams
Jenny Gurung
Jessica McGoldrick
Megan Hopton
Brooke Hoppe
Nandini Samanta
Sidney Martin
Alice Tirard
Benjamin Y. Arnold
Jessica Tantivit
Joseph Yarze
Kyle Staller
Daniel C. Chung
Alexandra-Chloé Villani
Slim Sassi
Hamed Khalili
author_sort Stefan Halvorsen
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Microscopic colitis (MC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the large intestine and a common cause of chronic diarrhea in older adults. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of colonic mucosal tissue to build a cellular and molecular model for MC. Our results show that in MC, there is a substantial expansion of tissue CD8+ T cells, likely arising from local expansion following T cell receptor engagement. Within the T cell compartment, MC is characterized by a shift in CD8 tissue-resident memory T cells towards a highly cytotoxic and inflammatory phenotype and expansion of CD4+ T regulatory cells. These results provide insight into inflammatory cytokines shaping MC pathogenesis and highlight notable similarities and differences with other immune-mediated intestinal diseases, including a common upregulation of IL26 and an MC-specific upregulation of IL10. These data help identify targets against enteric T cell subsets as an effective strategy for treatment of MC.
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spelling doaj-art-fb92c66d3b014006b2bc27eb7a8530402025-08-20T03:48:02ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-05-0116111610.1038/s41467-025-59648-8Single-cell transcriptomic characterization of microscopic colitisStefan Halvorsen0Molly Thomas1Mari Mino-Kenudson2Yuko Kinowaki3Kristin E. Burke4David Morgan5Kaia C. Miller6Katherine M. Williams7Jenny Gurung8Jessica McGoldrick9Megan Hopton10Brooke Hoppe11Nandini Samanta12Sidney Martin13Alice Tirard14Benjamin Y. Arnold15Jessica Tantivit16Joseph Yarze17Kyle Staller18Daniel C. Chung19Alexandra-Chloé Villani20Slim Sassi21Hamed Khalili22Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Medicine, MGHHarvard Medical School (HMS)Department of Pathology, HMS, MGHDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, MGHClinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit, MGHClinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit, MGHClinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit, MGHClinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit, MGHClinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit, MGHCenter for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Medicine, MGHCenter for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Medicine, MGHCenter for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Medicine, MGHCenter for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Medicine, MGHCenter for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Medicine, MGHDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, MGHDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, MGHDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, MGHCenter for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Medicine, MGHCenter for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and HarvardAbstract Microscopic colitis (MC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the large intestine and a common cause of chronic diarrhea in older adults. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of colonic mucosal tissue to build a cellular and molecular model for MC. Our results show that in MC, there is a substantial expansion of tissue CD8+ T cells, likely arising from local expansion following T cell receptor engagement. Within the T cell compartment, MC is characterized by a shift in CD8 tissue-resident memory T cells towards a highly cytotoxic and inflammatory phenotype and expansion of CD4+ T regulatory cells. These results provide insight into inflammatory cytokines shaping MC pathogenesis and highlight notable similarities and differences with other immune-mediated intestinal diseases, including a common upregulation of IL26 and an MC-specific upregulation of IL10. These data help identify targets against enteric T cell subsets as an effective strategy for treatment of MC.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59648-8
spellingShingle Stefan Halvorsen
Molly Thomas
Mari Mino-Kenudson
Yuko Kinowaki
Kristin E. Burke
David Morgan
Kaia C. Miller
Katherine M. Williams
Jenny Gurung
Jessica McGoldrick
Megan Hopton
Brooke Hoppe
Nandini Samanta
Sidney Martin
Alice Tirard
Benjamin Y. Arnold
Jessica Tantivit
Joseph Yarze
Kyle Staller
Daniel C. Chung
Alexandra-Chloé Villani
Slim Sassi
Hamed Khalili
Single-cell transcriptomic characterization of microscopic colitis
Nature Communications
title Single-cell transcriptomic characterization of microscopic colitis
title_full Single-cell transcriptomic characterization of microscopic colitis
title_fullStr Single-cell transcriptomic characterization of microscopic colitis
title_full_unstemmed Single-cell transcriptomic characterization of microscopic colitis
title_short Single-cell transcriptomic characterization of microscopic colitis
title_sort single cell transcriptomic characterization of microscopic colitis
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59648-8
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