Energy balance
Metabolic reprogramming, specifically aerobic glycolysis and fatty acid synthesis, drives the differentiation and function of proinflammatory Th17 cells, while oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid oxidation support anti-inflammatory Treg cells, thereby linking energy metabolism to immune balance in metabolic diseases.
Your immune system's inflammatory balance is tied to how your cells produce energy. In metabolic diseases like obesity or diabetes, immune cells shift toward using sugar (glycolysis) to drive inflammation (Th17) or use fat burning (FAO) to support regulation (Treg). Managing metabolic health through diet and exercise can influence this cellular energy balance, potentially helping to restore immune homeostasis.
Th17 cells, as effector T cells of the short-lived inflammatory T cell population, are hypothesized to rely more on glycolysis than the other metabolic pathways. Recent studies have revealed that aerobic glycolysis is indispensable for driving Th17 cell differentiation and function... Treg cells rely more on oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) than any other processes as a source of fuel to produce ATP and to generate energy.
Why this rating
The paper is a review citing multiple human and animal studies, but lacks a single definitive clinical trial establishing causality in humans.
Source
The Alterations in and the Role of the Th17/Treg Balance in Metabolic Diseases
Siwen Zhang et al. · Frontiers in Immunology · 2021
DOI 10.3389/fimmu.2021.678355
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