# Epstein‐Barr Virus Infection at Single‐Cell Resolution

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how single-cell techniques have advanced our understanding of Epstein-Barr virus infection and its impact on diseases.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements and open questions in EBV single-cell and spatial-omics research.

## Key findings

- Single-cell assays are shifting from characterization to functional studies of EBV-host interactions.
- Spatial-omics and single-cell sequencing workflows are being used to uncover clinically relevant insights.
- Open questions in EBV pathogenesis remain, which could be addressed with future single-cell techniques.

## Abstract

Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) infection has been studied at single‐cell resolution for six decades and counting. Such investigations can reveal virus‐host interactions and their dependence on viral strain, cellular niche, infection program, immune response regulation, and time. Understanding these factors is paramount to treating EBV‐associated cancers and autoimmune diseases. This review examines the state of the field in EBV single‐cell and spatial‐omics spanning experimental models and clinical samples. Topics of primary interest include the growing adoption and emerging biological themes from single‐cell assays and analyses, the shift from characterization toward functional single‐cell studies, and strategies to maximize clinically relevant insights from dense single‐cell and spatial datasets. Ancillary topics include the historical evolution of the single‐cell EBV field and end‐to‐end single‐cell sequencing workflows. Special attention is given to open questions in molecular mechanisms of EBV pathogenesis and how they might be resolved by future studies utilizing single‐cell techniques.