28 August 2024 | Magda Marečková, Luz Garcia-Alonso, Marie Moulet, Valentina Lorenzi, Robert Petryszak, Carmen Sancho-Serra, Agnes Oszlanczi, Cecilia Icoresi Mazzeo, Frederick C. K. Wong, Iva Kelava, Sophie Hoffman, Michal Krassowski, Kurtis Garbutt, Kezia Gaitskell, Slaveya Yancheva, Ee Von Woon, Victoria Male, Ingrid Granne, Karin Hellner, Krishnaa T. Mahbubani, Kourosh Saeb-Parsy, Mohammad Lotfollahi, Elena Prigmore, Jennifer Southcombe, Rebecca A. Dragovic, Christian M. Becker, Krina T. Zondervan & Roser Vento-Tormo
The study introduces the Human Endometrial Cell Atlas (HECA), a high-resolution single-cell reference atlas that integrates published and new endometrial single-cell transcriptomics datasets from 63 women with and without endometriosis. The HECA assigns consensus and identifies previously unreported cell types, validated using spatial transcriptomics and an independent single-nuclei dataset. Key findings include the identification of an epithelial *CDH2*^+^ population in the basalis and distinct populations of functionalis epithelial and stromal cells. The atlas provides insights into stromal-epithelial cell coordination via TGFβ signaling and signaling between fibroblasts and an epithelial population expressing progenitor markers in the basalis. Integration with large-scale endometriosis genome-wide association study data highlights decidualized stromal cells and macrophages as likely dysregulated in endometriosis. The HECA is a valuable resource for studying endometrial physiology and disorders and guiding microphysiological in vitro systems development.The study introduces the Human Endometrial Cell Atlas (HECA), a high-resolution single-cell reference atlas that integrates published and new endometrial single-cell transcriptomics datasets from 63 women with and without endometriosis. The HECA assigns consensus and identifies previously unreported cell types, validated using spatial transcriptomics and an independent single-nuclei dataset. Key findings include the identification of an epithelial *CDH2*^+^ population in the basalis and distinct populations of functionalis epithelial and stromal cells. The atlas provides insights into stromal-epithelial cell coordination via TGFβ signaling and signaling between fibroblasts and an epithelial population expressing progenitor markers in the basalis. Integration with large-scale endometriosis genome-wide association study data highlights decidualized stromal cells and macrophages as likely dysregulated in endometriosis. The HECA is a valuable resource for studying endometrial physiology and disorders and guiding microphysiological in vitro systems development.