T-cell Metabolism as a Target to Control Autoreactive T Cells in β-Cell Autoimmunity

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: An increasing body of evidence indicates that bio-energetic metabolism of activated T cells is a potential target to control the autoimmune response in type 1 diabetes (T1D). RECENT FINDINGS: T-cell activation and proliferation is linked to the cell capacity to provide sufficient energy and biosynthesis molecules to support T-cell growth and division. This makes T cells susceptible to metabolic inhibition for the control of the T-cell response. There is a wide therapeutic arsenal of metabolic inhibitors, including novel classes of drugs that have become recently available. SUMMARY: With the current knowledge and availability of metabolic inhibitors, we are now in the position to design a metabolic inhibition strategy to determine whether targeting of autoreactive T cells is an effective strategy to control the process of β-cell destruction in T1D.