Anatomical structures, cell types and biomarkers of the Human Reference Atlas.

The Human Reference Atlas (HRA) aims to map all of the cells of the human body to advance biomedical research and clinical practice. This Perspective presents collaborative work by members of 16 international consortia on two essential and interlinked parts of the HRA: (1) three-dimensional representations of anatomy that are linked to (2) tables that name and interlink major anatomical structures, cell types, plus biomarkers (ASCT+B). We discuss four examples that demonstrate the practical utility of the HRA. In this Perspective, Borner et al. discuss initiatives by 16 consortia to construct a Human Reference Atlas (HRA) comprising reference organs linked to tables that name major anatomical structures, cell types, plus biomarkers (ASCT+B) and present examples of HRA usage.