Abstract
Immune cell activation and proliferation are closely linked to their metabolic programming. These activated immune cells share many features with tumor cells and are capable to respond to stimulations quickly and reprogram their metabolism to fight with invading pathogens. The corresponding changes in metabolism provide immune cells with energy and bio-precursors to match with necessity of immune functions. The major metabolic pathways utilized by immune cells for the purpose of protecting body from invading pathogens are glycolysis, glutaminolysis, fatty acid synthesis and oxidation, and mitochondria oxidative phosphorylation. These pathways play crucial roles in immune cell activation and differentiation. In this review, we describe how immune cells engage in certain metabolic processes according to their functional needs with a focus on T cells and macrophages.
Highlights
The cells in immune system are relatively quiescent with minimal activities and survival needs but they possess the ability to quickly respond to pathogens or environmental challenges and constantly orchestrate their effector functions [1]
The major metabolic pathways that immune cells use to generate energy and biosynthesis materials are glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid metabolism, and glutaminolysis
Oxidative phosphorylation’s in mitochondria This is a process occuring in mitochondria that NADH and FADH2 generated from glycolysis and TCA cycles are passed along electron transport chain to oxygen and generate usable energy ATP
Summary
The cells in immune system are relatively quiescent with minimal activities and survival needs but they possess the ability to quickly respond to pathogens or environmental challenges and constantly orchestrate their effector functions [1]. Once pathogens are detected in the body, the cells will switch to an activated stage and become to fight with possible inflammation, infection, and/or any attacks from environment. The change in metabolism passively supports the activation status, and crucially influences the differentiation of immune cells. To understand how these fundamental processes influence each other may provide novel treatments for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases
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