Influences of metabolism and lipid homeostasis on regulatory vs. conventional T cells and implications for autoimmunity

Regulatory T cells are essential for suppressing an overactive immune system, especially concerning autoimmune disease, tumor growth, and inflammatory disease. This suppressive nature of regulatory T cells is largely due to their metabolic profiles determined by metabolic reprogramming upon activation and subsequent differentiation. As regulatory T cells tend to process and cycle energy differently from other T cell subsets, we are interested in what metabolic processes support regulatory T cell function. This review will consider how regulatory T cells compare with conventional T cells in terms of their participation in distinct metabolic pathways and how the presence of regulatory T cell-specific molecules influences proliferation and suppressive function. Additionally, this review will identify possible metabolic targets of regulatory T cells that could be targeted for development of autoimmune disease therapies.