PD-1 inhibitor treatment induces gene expression changes at the single-cell level in mouse hearts

PD-1 inhibitors, as a type of immune checkpoint inhibitors, have achieved significant success in cancer treatment. However, studies have found the usage of PD-1 inhibitors may cause cardiotoxicity. In this study, single-nucleus transcriptome sequencing (snRNA-seq) was employed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of mouse hearts after treatment with PD-1 inhibitor. Through this method, we aim to reveal the impact of PD-1 inhibitor on the expression network characteristics of heart tissue. SnRNA-seq allows us to obtain the complete transcriptomic information of each cell in the mouse heart , thus enabling the precise identification and quantification of differentially expressed genes in individual cells after PD-1 inhibitor treatment. Through the analysis of snRNA-seq data, we have discovered new mechanisms by which PD-1 inhibitor leads to cardiac dysfunction. These findings provide valuable resources for the research of cardiotoxicity induced by PD-1 inhibitors. The hearts are from mice that received intraperitoneal injections of PD-1 inhibitor (anti-mouse PD-1 antibody ) at a dose of 5 mg/kg on the 1st and 14th days of a 28-day cycle or received intraperitoneal injections of PBS at the same time.