Stereo cell: a new approach to the next generation of clinical precision medicine

Precision medicine has evolved through distinct phases, from the origins of the Human Genome Project to mutation-based targeted therapies. This editorial posits that ‘stereological cell biomedicine’ could be a new approach promoting the development of the next generation of precision medicine. This emerging discipline transitions the focus from genomic data to the multi-dimensional and spatiotemporal complexity of single cells. Driven by advances in Stereo single-cell multi-omics (Stereo Cell-seq), spatial transcriptomics (Stereo-seq) and single-cell surfaceomics (sc-surfaceome), this approach aims to capture the stereologically dynamic interactions between organelles within a cell and between cells in the tissue. We argue that understanding the spatiotemporal location of molecules, particularly protein interactions at organelle interfaces and on the cell surface, is as critical as their abundance for defining cellular function in health and disease. Integrating these high-resolution measurements with artificial intelligence and computational modelling will bridge the gap between advanced omics and pathology. Initiatives such as the newly established European Stereo Cell Center signal a global shift towards this new paradigm, which promises to unlock novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for truly multi-factorial and dynamic precision medicine.