Single-Cell Multi-Omics Dissects Transcript Isoform and Immune Repertoire Dynamics in Human Immunosenescence

Abstract

Immunosenescence, a major hallmark of systemic aging, refers to the progressive functional decline of the immune system. This decline not only compromises host defense and immunological memory but also fuels chronic inflammation and tissue degeneration (collectively known as inflammaging). While single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has revealed transcriptomic alterations in immune aging, analyses restricted to transcript abundance fail to capture deeper regulatory layers, such as transcript isoform diversity and the remodeling of immune receptor repertoires. To address this, we present the human peripheral immune single-cell multi-omics atlas that integrates gene expression, transcript isoforms diversity, and immune receptor repertoires. By combining single-cell full-length transcriptome sequencing (scCycloneSEQ), short-read scRNA-seq, and single-cell immune receptor sequencing (scTCR/BCR-seq), we systematically profiled peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy young and elderly donors. Our analyses uncovered extensive age-related remodeling of immune cell composition, functional states, and TCR/BCR diversity. Notably, we identified in CD4 effector memory T cells exhibited widespread differential isoform usage (DIU), 3'UTR length variation, and a marked reshaping of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clonotypes--all closely associated with aging-related inflammation and cellular senescence. This multi-omics atlas delineates key molecular features of immunosenescence and provides a high-resolution resource for deciphering the regulatory architecture underlying immune aging.