Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis reveals cellular states and intercellular communication of human lumbar facet-joint degeneration

Figure 1 Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of human lumbar facet joint cartilage. A: Schematic workflow of the experimental strategy to isolate cells from human lumbar facet joint cartilage for subsequent single-cell RNA sequencing; B: Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection showing the single-cell transcriptomic landscape of human lumbar facet joint cartilage. Fifteen clusters were visualized; C: Heatmap of the top marker genes of each cluster (defined in B); D: Distribution of cell clusters (defined in B) in human FJ1, 2 and 3 (degeneration grade I, II and III) cartilage samples. LFJ: Lumbar facet joint; DC: Dendritic cell; HSC: Hematopoietic stem cell; pDC: Plasmacytoid dendritic cell.