Metabolomics, Lipidomics, and Immunometabolism

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Cellular Metabolism
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Immune cell activation and function are critically regulated by cellular metabolism.
• Understanding metabolic changes is key to advancing immunology.
• Various techniques exist to measure cellular metabolic pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe protocols for evaluating metabolic rate, metabolomics, and lipidomics in T cells.
• To provide detailed experimental approaches for these analyses.
• To highlight the importance of these techniques in immunological research.

Main Methods:

• Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyzer for real-time measurement of glycolytic and mitochondrial respiration.
• Metabolomics using mass-spectrometry coupled with liquid or gas chromatography (LC-MS or GC-MS) and/or nuclear-magnetic resonance (NMR).
• Lipidomics for the identification and quantification of lipid species, analyzed separately from water-soluble metabolites.

Main Results:

• The study provides a comprehensive protocol for T cell metabolic analysis.
• Detailed experimental approaches for Seahorse, metabolomics, and lipidomics are presented.
• The findings facilitate deeper investigation into T cell metabolic reprogramming.

Conclusions:

• Metabolic rate, metabolomics, and lipidomics are essential tools for studying T cell biology.
• The described protocols enable robust analysis of T cell metabolic profiles.
• These methods contribute to a better understanding of immune cell function and potential therapeutic targets.