Molecular analysis of human tick-bitten skin yields signatures associated with distinct spatial and temporal trajectories - A proof-of-concept study

Tick-associated diseases present challenges due to tridirectional interactions among host-specific responses, tick toxins and salivary proteins as well as microbes. We aimed to uncover molecular mechanisms in tick-bitten skin samples and contralateral skin samples collected simultaneously from the same participants, using spatial transcriptomics.

Citation:
Lee W, Ben-Othman R, Skut P, Lee AHY, ……. Kollmann TR, Oskam CL. Molecular analysis of human tick-bitten skin yields signatures associated with distinct spatial and temporal trajectories - A proof-of-concept study. Heliyon. 2024;10(13).

Keywords:
Emerging diseases; tick-borne diseases; tick-host-pathogen; spatial profiling; spatial transcriptomics

Abstract:
Tick-associated diseases present challenges due to tridirectional interactions among host-specific responses, tick toxins and salivary proteins as well as microbes. We aimed to uncover molecular mechanisms in tick-bitten skin samples and contralateral skin samples collected simultaneously from the same participants, using spatial transcriptomics.