title: Targeting Metabolism as a Novel Therapeutic Approach to Autoimmunity, Inflammation, and Transplantation.
abstract: Immune cell activation and differentiation occurs concurrently with metabolic reprogramming. This ensures that activated cells generate the energy and substrates necessary to perform their specified function. Likewise, the metabolic programs among different cells of the immune system vary. By targeting different metabolic pathways, these differences allow for selective regulation of immune responses. Further, the relative susceptibility of cells to a metabolic inhibitor is dictated by their metabolic demands; cellular selectivity is based on demand. Therefore, where differences exist in metabolic pathways between healthy and pathogenic cells, there is opportunity for selective regulation with agents lacking intrinsic specificity. There are now a host of studies demonstrating how inhibitors of metabolism (e.g., glycolysis, glutamine metabolism, and fatty acid oxidation) can regulate immune responses and treat immune-mediated pathogenesis. In this brief review we detail how inhibitors of metabolism can be employed to regulate immune responses in both autoimmunity and transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, The Sidney-Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231.
authors.forename: Ian A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Bettencourt
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, The Sidney-Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231 poweljo@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Powell
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000187:drug effects*; D016377:Organ Transplantation; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects