A New Generation of Lineage Tracing Dynamically Records Cell Fate Choices

Reconstructing the development of lineage relationships and cell fate mapping has been a fundamental problem in biology. Using advanced molecular biology and single-cell RNA sequencing, we have profiled transcriptomes at the single-cell level and mapped cell fates during development. Recently, CRISPR/Cas9 barcode editing for large-scale lineage tracing has been used to reconstruct the pseudotime trajectory of cells and improve lineage tracing accuracy. This review presents the progress of the latest CbLT (CRISPR-based Lineage Tracing) and discusses the current limitations and potential technical pitfalls in their application and other emerging concepts.