Cellular metabolism regulates the fate decision between pathogenic and regulatory T cells

Preclinical research shows a pivotal role for cellular metabolism to regulate the fate decision of naïve CD4 T cells as they differentiate into either destructive Th17 cells that mediate chronic inflammation or regulatory Treg T cells, a decision that occurs very early in the activation of CD4 T cells. This opens a possibility that manipulating the cellular metabolism of T cells may provide a therapeutic intervention in chronic autoimmune disorders.