IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-Discovering Shared Mechanisms of Autoimmunity using Omics Technologies

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Jacqueline Nestor from Massachusetts General Hospital presented the Blood Immune Atlas, a massive single-cell resource built from 40 million blood cells across more than 5,000 patient samples and 40+ conditions. The atlas combines published datasets, collaborative data, and the team’s own 8 million cells, using RNA, protein, and TCR sequencing. Her goal is to uncover shared and disease-specific mechanisms of autoimmunity and create a technical resource for the scientific community.<br /><br />She described major challenges in integrating datasets and optimizing methods, with Harmony performing best. Using a divide-and-conquer approach, the team deeply profiled CD4 T cells and other lineages. Preliminary findings showed pediatric enrichment of recent thymic emigrants, disease-specific shifts in cytotoxic T cell subsets, and autoimmune risk variants and TCR clonal expansion concentrated in cytotoxic CD4-like populations. Overall, the work suggests common immune programs across autoimmune diseases, with cytotoxic T cells emerging as a key shared feature.

Meta Tag

Date April 18, 2026 10:45 AM - 11:00 AM

Room 102

Session Animal Models and Multi-omics Technology

Speaker Jacquelyn Nestor

Track Immune Mechanisms of Human Disease (HUM)

Year 2026

Keywords

Blood Immune Atlas

single-cell immunology

autoimmunity

cytotoxic T cells

TCR sequencing

April 18, 2026 10:45 AM - 11:00 AM

102

Animal Models and Multi-omics Technology

Jacquelyn Nestor

Immune Mechanisms of Human Disease (HUM)

2026