review · Frontiers in Immunology
Metabolic reprogramming plays an essential role in how immune systems respond to viral infections. During these infections, immune cells adjust their energy production and biosynthetic needs to support defence mechanisms while restricting a pathogen's access to vital nutrients. Glucose metabolism serves as a critical regulator in this process, influencing immune cell activation, cytokine secretion, and the control of pathogens. Specific cytokines help orchestrate these metabolic shifts, while pre-existing metabolic disorders can alter immune efficiency. Modulating glucose metabolism presents an emerging therapeutic avenue to boost antiviral immunity and improve clinical outcomes. Understanding how cellular metabolism and immune responses interact provides a foundation for identifying novel immunometabolic targets to treat viral diseases.
Viral infections place heavy demands on the body's immune system, which relies on specific energy sources like glucose to function effectively. By understanding how viruses and immune cells compete for nutrients, researchers can uncover why metabolic conditions impair immunity and discover new ways to strengthen the body's natural defences against viral illnesses.
This work points towards therapeutic applications, specifically the development of immunometabolic drugs that target glucose metabolism to improve antiviral responses. Potential users include pharmaceutical developers and clinical researchers seeking new host-directed antiviral therapies. Because the abstract describes an overview of mechanisms and emerging concepts, the research is at an early, discovery-oriented stage and remains distant from immediate clinical or market deployment.
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Metabolic reprogramming is an important player within the immune response to viral infections, allowing immune cells to fine-tune their energy production and biosynthetic requirements while it is actively working to restrict pathogen access to essential nutrients. Particularly, glucose metabolism, which appears to be one of the important regulators of immune function, affects immune cell activation, cytokine secretion, and pathogen restriction. This review explores the mechanisms of metabolic reprogramming during viral infections, with a specific emphasis on glucose metabolism. We discussed the key cytokines involved in orchestrating this metabolic process and the influence of pre-existing metabolic disorders on immune efficiency. Furthermore, we introduced emerging therapeutic strategies that target glucose metabolism to enhance antiviral immunity and improve disease outcomes. A deeper understanding of the interaction between metabolism and immunity could be promising for the development of novel immunometabolic targets against viral infections.
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DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1578202
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