On Nov. 20, 2024, researchers with the global Human Cell Atlas (HCA) consortium reported significant progress in their quest for a better understanding of the cells of the human body in health and disease, with the publication today of a collection of more than 40 peer-reviewed papers in Nature and other Nature Portfolio journals.

The collection highlights many of the large scale datasets, artificial intelligence algorithms and biomedical discoveries from HCA that are already transforming our understanding of the human body. Studies include revealing how the placenta and skeleton form, changes during brain maturation, new gut and vascular cell states, lung responses to COVID-19, investigating how genetic variation impacts on disease, and many more.

To date, more than 3,600 HCA members from over 100 countries have worked together to profile more than 100 million cells from over 10,000 people. Researchers are currently working to assemble a first draft Human Cell Atlas, which will eventually grow to include up to billions of cells across all organs and tissues.

The new collection of papers also includes novel maps of human tissues during development. These include the first map of human skeletal development, revealing how the skeleton forms, shedding light on the origins of arthritis, and identifying cells involved in skeletal conditions. An additional study describes a multi omic atlas of the first trimester placenta, including insight into genetic programs that control how the placenta develops and functions to provide nutrients and protection to the embryo. These and other developmental biology studies in the collection increase our fundamental understanding of healthy development in time and space, and provide blueprints and resources for creating therapeutics, since many diseases have their origin in human development.