Cross-disease characterization of fibroblast heterogeneities and their pathogenic roles in skin inflammation

Abstract

Fibroblasts are critical pro-inflammatory regulators in chronic inflammatory and fibrotic skin diseases. However, fibroblast heterogeneity and the absence of a unified cross-disease taxonomy have hindered our understanding of the shared/distinct pathways in non-communicable skin inflammation. By integrating 10× single-cell data from 75 skin samples, we constructed a single-cell atlas across inflammatory and fibrotic skin diseases and identified 9 distinct subsets of skin fibroblasts. We found a shared subset of CCL19+ fibroblasts across these diseases, potentially attracting and educating immune cells. Moreover, COL6A5+ fibroblasts were a distinct subset implicated in the initiation and relapse of psoriasis, which tended to differentiate into CXCL1+ fibroblasts, inducing neutrophil chemotaxis and infiltration; while CXCL1+ fibroblasts exhibited a more heterogeneous response to certain inflammatory conditions. Differentiation trajectory and regulatory factors of these fibroblast subsets were also revealed. Therefore, our study presents a comprehensive atlas of skin fibroblasts and highlights pathogenic fibroblast subsets in skin disorders.