We looked at expression of over 160 hormones and their receptors in every cell across 47 tissues.

In a new study published in the journal Science, we have constructed the most detailed atlas to date of hormone production and action, at the level of individual cells.

Hormones are chemical messengers secreted into the blood stream that act on distant targets across the body. They are critical to our health and wellbeing, acting as signals to coordinate fundamental processes including growth, reproduction and metabolism. Disruption of hormone function causes a wide range of endocrine disorders, including obesity and diabetes, which affect millions of people in the UK and worldwide. Many of these disorders lack effective treatments.

To better understand how hormones work in health and disease, we needed a more detailed map of where hormones are made and how they act. To do this, we teamed up with Professor Sarah Teichmann’s group at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, who pioneered the use of a technology called single-cell RNA sequencing to understand how cells and tissues work. This technology allows researchers to profile the expression of every gene in the genome across thousands of individual cells simultaneously.

Using data generated from more than 40 different human tissues, encompassing 14 million cells in total, we mapped every cell in every tissue that sends and responds to hormone signals. One of the most striking findings was that hormone signalling extends far beyond the classical hormone glands, such as the pancreas, thyroid, and adrenal gland. Tissues not traditionally associated with hormone function, including the immune system, fat, and blood vessels, also appear to play an active role in hormone function. We then zoomed in on individual, sometimes rare cells and found they had unique and unexpected hormone properties.

Building on previous work in our group, we also mapped genes whose disruption cause endocrine and metabolic disorders, including those associated with genetic causes of obesity. We found some of these genes were presented in unexpected tissues and cells, which may explain some of the symptoms associated with these disorders.

Finally, we developed a portal where clinicians and researchers can look up hormones and conditions they are interested in: www.hormonecellatlas.org.uk.

The Hormone Cell Atlas allows us to explore hormones in unprecedented breadth and detail. Since it is publicly available, we hope it will provide an invaluable resource for clinicians and researchers around the world who, like us, are committed to transforming understanding of endocrine and metabolic disease and delivering new treatments for patients.

Read can read the paper online here