Metabolomics and Immune Diseases

Cellular metabolism dictates the fate and function of various immune cells. Key metabolic pathways in immune cells, such as glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, the pentose phosphate pathway, fatty acid oxidation, fatty acid synthesis, and amino acid metabolism, are frequently reprogrammed in immune cells, which in turn significantly influence immune and inflammatory responses [1]. Multiple metabolic intermediates or signaling molecules not only provide energy and essential substrates for biosynthesis within immune cells but also play significant regulatory roles in immune cell development, differentiation, and function [2, 3]. The interaction between the immune system and metabolic reprogramming is crucial for maintaining immune homeostasis and self-tolerance, and the dysregulated immune metabolism can lead to the onset and progression of a wide array of systemic autoimmune disorders, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and organ-specific autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Metabolomics, through systematic analysis of metabolites in organisms or biological samples, provides vital methodologies for comprehensive and in-depth exploration of physiological and pathological processes of the human body [45]. The extensive application of targeted and untargeted metabolomics has significantly advanced our knowledge of the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders. This chapter focuses on the application of metabolomics in revealing the metabolic regulatory mechanisms of innate and adaptive immunity, and the immunometabolism mechanisms behind autoimmune disorders.