Epstein-Barr virus hijacks B cell metabolism to establish persistent infection and drive pathogenesis

When B cells engage in an immune response, metabolic reprogramming is key to meeting cellular energetic and biosynthetic demands. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a highly prevalent gamma-herpesvirus, latently infecting B cells for the human host's lifetime. By hijacking signaling pathways of T cell-dependent humoral immunity, EBV activates B cells in a T cell-independent manner, forcing lymphoblastoid transformation. Interlinked with this coercion of signaling pathways, EBV has also evolved strategies to manipulate B cell metabolism. In this opinion article we integrate recent findings from studies of B cell metabolic reprogramming after EBV infection and during antigen-specific activation, respectively. We hypothesize that defining EBV host-cell metabolic vulnerabilities that differ from pathways required for B cell immunity might uncover novel therapeutic targets against EBV-related diseases.