Scientists have introduced CellWalker2, an open-source computational tool designed to refine cell type classification and comparison across diverse studies. Published in Cell Genomics on May 22, 2025, this tool leverages hierarchical relationships between cell types to deliver more precise annotations.
CellWalker2 integrates single-cell ATAC-seq (Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin using sequencing) with RNA sequencing data, expanding its capabilities to multi-omic profiles. This integration facilitates the connection of regulatory DNA elements to active genes, offering deeper insights into cellular functions. The tool maps regulatory DNA regions active in specific cell types and identifies transcription factors that orchestrate gene expression changes.
By elucidating the relationships between cell types and the genes governing them, CellWalker2 enables scientists to match cell types across different experiments, even those conducted in different labs or across species. CellWalker2 is freely accessible online to other researchers, promoting broad adoption and collaboration within the biomedical community.