Fatty acid synthase regulates the pathogenicity of Th17 cells

T cell activation and effector function is characterized by changes in metabolism. Altered metabolism is common to almost all types of activated T cells, but fatty acid synthesis seems to especially drive the formation of Th17 cells. Indeed, research has demonstrated that inhibition of early fatty acid synthesis through targeting of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC1) can inhibit Th17 cell formation and instead promote the generation of regulatory T cells. Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is downstream of ACC, and previous studies have shown that FASN activity influences both cancer and inflammation. However, it remains to be determined whether FASN is a viable target for inhibiting Th17 cell function. Here, we demonstrate that FASN is a critical metabolic control for the generation of inflammatory subsets of Th17 cells. Conversely, inhibiting FASN function promotes IFN-γ production by Th1 and Th1-like Th17 cells. In vivo, inhibition of FASN, specifically in Th17 cells, leads to reduction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis disease. These studies demonstrate the necessity of FASN in the autoimmune inflammatory function of Th17 cells.