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Marine Drugs
Volume 23
Issue 9
10.3390/md23090358
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Article

Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Cell Heterogeneity and Altered Signaling Pathways in Jellyfish Sting Patients

by
Zhen Qin
1,2,
Zhengfeng Hao
2,3,
Chun Wang
1,
Ning Lu
1,
Peiju Qiu
1,
Su Wang
4 and
Rilei Yu
1,*
1
Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Ministry of Education of China, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
2
PLA Naval Medical Center, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai 200433, China
3
School of Pharmacy, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu 233030, China
4
Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Mar. Drugs 2025, 23(9), 358; https://doi.org/10.3390/md23090358
Submission received: 5 August 2025 / Revised: 3 September 2025 / Accepted: 5 September 2025 / Published: 15 September 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Ocean University of China: Potential Therapeutic Benefits of Marine Novel Natural Products)
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Abstract

Jellyfish stings induce a range of symptoms, from localized irritation to life-threatening systemic reactions, yet the underlying immune mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study employed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to analyze peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a severely affected patient and healthy controls, uncovering the immune landscape at single-cell resolution and identifying the signaling pathways. We identified 11 major immune cell types, with a marked increase in CD14+ monocytes (81.86% of total cells) and significant reductions in T cells, B cells, and CD16+ monocytes in the envenomated patient. Subclustering revealed six monocyte and four neutrophil subsets, each displaying distinct functional profiles. Patient monocytes were enriched for MMP9+ and RETN+ subsets, associated with leukocyte migration and inflammation, whereas healthy controls exhibited CD74+ monocytes linked to oxidative phosphorylation. Neutrophils in the patient were predominantly LTF+ and S100A12+, implicating inflammatory and immune regulatory pathways. These findings provide a detailed single-cell atlas of immune dysregulation post-jellyfish sting, highlighting the pivotal roles of MMP9+ monocytes and S100A12+ neutrophils in driving inflammation. This study offers potential therapeutic targets for mitigating severe immune responses in jellyfish envenomation.
Keywords: jellyfish stings; scRNA-seq; cell heterogeneity; CD74+ monocytes; MMP9+ monocytes; S100A12+ neutrophils jellyfish stings; scRNA-seq; cell heterogeneity; CD74+ monocytes; MMP9+ monocytes; S100A12+ neutrophils
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MDPI and ACS Style

Qin, Z.; Hao, Z.; Wang, C.; Lu, N.; Qiu, P.; Wang, S.; Yu, R. Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Cell Heterogeneity and Altered Signaling Pathways in Jellyfish Sting Patients. Mar. Drugs 2025, 23, 358. https://doi.org/10.3390/md23090358

AMA Style

Qin Z, Hao Z, Wang C, Lu N, Qiu P, Wang S, Yu R. Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Cell Heterogeneity and Altered Signaling Pathways in Jellyfish Sting Patients. Marine Drugs. 2025; 23(9):358. https://doi.org/10.3390/md23090358

Chicago/Turabian Style

Qin, Zhen, Zhengfeng Hao, Chun Wang, Ning Lu, Peiju Qiu, Su Wang, and Rilei Yu. 2025. "Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Cell Heterogeneity and Altered Signaling Pathways in Jellyfish Sting Patients" Marine Drugs 23, no. 9: 358. https://doi.org/10.3390/md23090358

APA Style

Qin, Z., Hao, Z., Wang, C., Lu, N., Qiu, P., Wang, S., & Yu, R. (2025). Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Cell Heterogeneity and Altered Signaling Pathways in Jellyfish Sting Patients. Marine Drugs, 23(9), 358. https://doi.org/10.3390/md23090358

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