Standardizing Cell Ontology terms for cross-study integration in the female reproductive tract.

Authors

Huan Ting Ong, Diane C Saunders, Caroline Eastwood, Aleix Puig-Barbe, Alison Kochersberger, Anna Galligos, Bailey Marshall, Benjamin K Johnson, Caroline E Kratka, Chen Jin, Daniela Betancur, Gabriela Rapozo Guimarães, Jordan H Machlin, Jose V V Isola, Katelyn M Adam, Osmaray Morales-Casanova, Svetlana Djirackor, Taylor Schissel, Valentina Lorenzi, Xifan Wang, Xingyu Shen, Bikem Soygur, Brian Aevermann, Eliza A Gaylord, Mariko H Foecke, Norbert K Tavares, Ryan M Samuel, Sophia Szady, Srinivasan Mahalingam, Subhasri Biswas, Will Liao, Bérénice A Benayoun, Hattie Chung, Wipawee Winuthayanon, Jun Z Li, Matteo A Molè, Michael Angelo, Patricia Jeudin, Ronny Drapkin, Ariella Shikanov, Diana J Laird, Francesca Duncan, Hui Shen, Jennifer L Garrison, Mariana Boroni, Michael B Stout, Roser Vento-Tormo, Sophia H L George, Yousin Suh, Jennifer L Young, Monica M Laronda

Published in

Science advances. Volume 12. Issue 41. Pages eaef2358. Oct 09, 2026. Epub Oct 09, 2026.

Abstract

The female reproductive tract is essential for fertility, pregnancy, and overall health, yet many of its cellular components remain poorly defined. Recent advances in single-cell and spatial transcriptomics have begun to reveal this complexity, but inconsistent naming of cell types and states has limited the ability to compare findings across studies. To address this challenge, an international group of reproductive biologists and ontology experts collaborated to harmonize annotations within Cell Ontology, focusing on the ovary, fallopian tube, and uterus. Standardized terms are proposed for major epithelial, stromal, and germ cell populations, supported by marker gene sets and anatomical linkages. This framework provides a shared reference that can be used to harmonize existing datasets and guide annotation of future studies, enabling consistent classification of oocytes, granulosa, theca, luteal, epithelial, stromal, and immune cells across tissues. By establishing a unified taxonomy, this work lays the foundation for integrating datasets, supporting cross-tissue comparisons, and advancing the understanding of reproductive biology, health, and disease.

PMID:
42853913
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 10 Oct 2026.

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