Metabolic Reprogramming in Resting and Activated Immune Cells

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.