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Metabolic Signaling as a Driver of T Cell Aging

Minju Choi1,2, Sujin Choi1,2, Minkyeong Cho1,2

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Institute for Viral Diseases, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea.

Immune Network
|March 13, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Aging impairs T cell immunity, making older adults vulnerable to infections and reducing vaccine effectiveness. Metabolic changes in T cells drive this aging process, impacting immune function and inflammation.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Metabolism
  • Aging Research

Background:

  • T cell immunity declines with age, increasing infection risk and decreasing vaccine efficacy.
  • Metabolism is crucial for T cell function, energy, activation, and differentiation.
  • Altered metabolic signaling is a key factor in T cell aging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review how metabolic signaling changes during T cell aging.
  • To explore the functional consequences of these metabolic alterations.
  • To discuss therapeutic strategies for immune rejuvenation in older adults.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent scientific literature on T cell aging and metabolism.
  • Analysis of the impact of metabolic pathways on T cell differentiation and function.
  • Discussion of potential therapeutic interventions.

Main Results:

  • Aberrant metabolism disrupts aged T cell quiescence and promotes pro-inflammatory effector cells.
  • Impaired generation of long-lived memory and T follicular helper cells is linked to metabolic changes.
  • Altered T cell metabolism contributes to chronic inflammation and compromised immune homeostasis.

Conclusions:

  • Metabolic dysregulation is central to T cell aging and functional decline.
  • Targeting metabolic pathways may restore T cell differentiation and improve immune responses in the elderly.
  • Therapeutic strategies hold promise for rejuvenating immune function in aging populations.
Keywords:
InflammagingMemory T cellsMetabolic signalingT cell agingT cell differentiationVaccine

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