RNA sequencing (RNAseq) can reveal gene fusions, splicing variants, mutations/indels in addition to differential gene expression, thus providing a more complete genetic picture than DNA sequencing. This most widely used technology in genomics tool box has evolved from classic bulk RNA sequencing (RNAseq), popular single cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) to newly emerged spatial RNA sequencing (spRNAseq). Bulk RNAseq studies average global gene expression, scRNAseq investigates single cell RNA biology up to 20,000 individual cells simultaneously, while spRNAseq has ability to dissect RNA activities spatially, representing next generation of RNA sequencing. This article highlights these technologies, characteristic features and suitable applications in precision oncology.

RNA 测序 (RNAseq) 除了差异基因表达外，还可以揭示基因融合、剪接变异、突变/插入缺失，从而提供比 DNA 测序更完整的遗传图谱。这种在基因组学工具箱中使用最广泛的技术已经从经典的批量 RNA 测序 (RNAseq)、流行的单细胞 RNA 测序 (scRNAseq) 发展到新出现的空间 RNA 测序 (spRNAseq)。Bulk RNAseq 研究平均全局基因表达，scRNAseq 研究单细胞 RNA 生物学，同时研究多达 20,000 个单个细胞，而 spRNAseq 具有在空间上剖析 RNA 活动的能力，代表了下一代 RNA 测序。本文重点介绍了这些技术、特征和在精准肿瘤学中的合适应用。