{
  "abstract": "Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory disease with a high degree of cellular heterogeneity and molecular complexity, characterized pathologically by persistent airflow limitation and an inflammatory-tissue remodeling cascade involving multiple cell types. Traditional transcriptomics lack the resolution to precisely define cell subpopulation roles in COPD. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) overcomes this limitation by enabling high-resolution analysis of cell-type-specific mechanisms in COPD. A total of 101,009 cells from three scRNA-seq datasets were integrated to profile COPD-related molecular features and cell interactions at single-cell resolution. Analysis identified four major cell types and 17 distinct cell subtypes. Cell–cell communication analysis revealed a significant reduction in signaling activity of macrophages and fibroblasts, whereas certain immune cells exhibited enhanced signaling, suggesting that immune dysregulation plays a pivotal role in COPD pathogenesis. Further analysis focused on macrophage-dominant myeloid cells and fibroblasts, uncovering their critical roles in inflammation modulation and fibrosis progression. Meanwhile, this study also identified 19 chemicals that may influence COPD progression by modulating cellular gene expression. This study provides an important molecular basis for unraveling the cell-cell interaction network of COPD and elucidating the mechanism of each cell subpopulation in the disease process.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "School of Nursing, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China",
    "Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China",
    "School of Basic Medical Science, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China",
    "Institute of Medical Sciences of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China",
    "School of Public Health, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China",
    "Medical Records Management Department, The Affiliated Taian City Central Hospital of Qingdao University, Tai’an, China",
    "Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China",
    "Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Hong Jiang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Wenxing Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Lu Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Jiaojian Wu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Jianjiang Luo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Qi Yan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Xueli Gong"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Jing Liang"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/804tvgvsjc45c.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0361580",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "804tvgvsjc45c",
  "issns": [
    "1932-6203"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361580",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2740|Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Research"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Anatomy/Biological tissue/Connective tissue/Connective tissue cells/Fibroblasts"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cell physiology/Cell communication"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cell processes/Cellular stress responses"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cellular types/Animal cells/Blood cells/White blood cells/Alveolar macrophages"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cellular types/Animal cells/Blood cells/White blood cells/Monocytes"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cellular types/Animal cells/Connective tissue cells/Fibroblasts"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cellular types/Animal cells/Immune cells/White blood cells/Alveolar macrophages"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cellular types/Animal cells/Immune cells/White blood cells/Monocytes"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Genetics/Gene expression"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Immunology/Immune cells/White blood cells/Alveolar macrophages"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Immunology/Immune cells/White blood cells/Monocytes"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Immunology/Immune response/Inflammation"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Anatomy/Biological tissue/Connective tissue/Connective tissue cells/Fibroblasts"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Clinical medicine/Signs and symptoms/Inflammation"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Immunology/Immune cells/White blood cells/Alveolar macrophages"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Immunology/Immune cells/White blood cells/Monocytes"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Immunology/Immune response/Inflammation"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Pulmonology/Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223659489",
  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0361580&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-26",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/804tvgvsjc45c.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:17Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0361580",
      "source": "plos",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361580"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:cell biology",
      "subfield": "cell-biology"
    },
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:immunology",
      "subfield": "immunology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Single-cell analysis of COPD: Microenvironmental interactions driven by immune-fibrotic imbalance",
  "title_text": "Single-cell analysis of COPD: Microenvironmental interactions driven by immune-fibrotic imbalance",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:17Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/804tvgvsjc45c",
  "venue": "PLOS One",
  "versions": []
}