Academy of Finland awarded Tapio Lönnberg (Finnish Functional Genomics Centre) with Academy Postdoctoral Fellow funding 280 000 € for 2017-2020

Single-cell Atlas of human follicular T helper cells in Health and Disease

Generation of protective antibodies results from collaboration of two types of cells: B-cells and Follicular T helper cells (Tfh cells). Tfh cells can be further divided into several subsets, some of which are associated with autoimmune disorders. However, the full extent and functional implications of this subset diversity remain incompletely understood. To date, Tfh cells have been difficult to study in human due to their diversity and localization in lymph nodes.

We are exploiting novel methods enabling the determination of functional states of single cells by measuring gene expression. This allows us to target those rare Tfh cells, which have migrated from lymph nodes to peripheral blood, and are therefore accessible to sampling. By comparing cells from healthy volunteers and Rheumatoid Arthritis patients, we aim to identify disease-associated subsets of cells, providing new targets for therapeutic interventions.