Abstract

Tuberculosis is among the top ten diseases with the highest mortality rates worldwide. Early and standardized treatment upon definitive diagnosis holds significant importance for the prevention and prognosis of pulmonary tuberculosis patients. However, the number of drug-resistant tuberculosis cases is increasing, while the interventions for tuberculosis are becoming increasingly limited. There is an urgent need to develop new rapid diagnostic methods and effective treatment drugs.The immune system plays a vital role in the development and regulation of tuberculosis. Conventional sequencing techniques, however, are unable to depict the differences between individual cells. In contrast, single-cell sequencing technology enables comprehensive analysis of immune cells at the single-cell level, potentially revealing novel information regarding the functions, states, distributions, and communication behaviors among immune cell subpopulations. This insight contributes to understanding the pathogenesis and discovering new diagnostic markers and even therapeutic targets in tuberculosis. The utilization of this technology provides valuable references for tuberculosis diagnosis and precision treatment.This article provides an overview of the immunological mechanisms underlying tuberculosis, immunotherapy for tuberculosis, and single-cell sequencing technology. It primarily focuses on discussing the research progress of single-cell sequencing technology in the context of tuberculosis immunotherapy.