Progress in the mechanism of glycometabolism in memory CD8+ T cell formation

CD8+ T cells are critical immune cells protecting the body against infection and cancer. Long-lived memory CD8+ T cells formed in a prior infection can reproduce to mount a faster and stronger immune response at a second encounter with the cognate antigen. The activation, clonal expansion and response of T cells are energetically demanding processes tightly coupled in cellular metabolism. Meanwhile, changes in cellular metabolism could also affect the development of memory T cells following acute infection. In this review, we discussed the current understanding of the mechanism by which glycometabolic pathways manipulate the differentiation of memory CD8+ T cells in order to provide reference for improving vaccine development and cancer treatment. Key words: Glycometabolism; Glycolysis; mTOR; Memory T cell