Metabolic requirements of type 2 lymphocytes in allergic disease

Abstract

Allergic diseases continue to increase in prevalence across the globe. Decades of research has uncovered the cytokines and transcription factors that are central to the allergic immune response, but only in the last few years have we begun to understand the metabolic requirements of allergic immunity. Here, we discuss the metabolic features of so-called ‘type 2’ lymphocytes, which are heavily implicated in allergy. We highlight the central role that nuclear receptors, such as peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor gamma, play in type 2 lymphocyte biology and explore the influence of dietary and microbial factors in allergic inflammation. In the future, targeting metabolic checkpoints may offer a meaningful way of treating patients with allergic disorders.