The received wisdom said we were built from around 200 types of cell – such as heart muscle or nerve cells. Instead the Human Cell Atlas project has revealed there are thousands of cell types, with some appearing to be culprits in diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and cystic fibrosis.
Out of the 1.6 million cells analysed was a new form, called a gut
metaplastic cell. It seems to play a role in exacerbating inflammation in the seven million people that live with inflammatory bowel diseases such as
ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.“We were able to uncover a pathogenic cell type that may play a role in some chronic conditions and could be a target for [drug] intervention in the future,” said Dr Rasa Elmentaite, who did the research at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c23829l8kzro