Metabolism along the life journey of T cells

T cells are one of few cell types in adult mammals that can proliferate extensively and differentiate diversely upon stimulation, which serves as an excellent example to dissect the metabolic basis of cell fate decisions. During the last decade, there has been an explosion of research into the metabolic control of T-cell responses. The roles of common metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, lipid metabolism, and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, in T-cell responses have been well characterized, and their mechanisms of action are starting to emerge. In this review, we present several considerations for T-cell metabolism-focused research, while providing an overview of the metabolic control of T-cell fate decisions during their life journey. We try to synthesize principles that explain the causal relationship between cellular metabolism and T-cell fate decision. We also discuss key unresolved questions and challenges in targeting T-cell metabolism to treat disease.