T-Cell Metabolism in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Focus on Mitochondrial and Lysosomal Dysfunction

• Published in: Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology 2024-05, Vol.46 (3), p.1-384
• Main Authors: Parab, Asmita, Bhatt, Lokesh Kumar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0892-3973; 1532-2513
• DOI: 10.1080/08923973.2024.2330645

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by immune cell dysregulation, synovial hyperplasia, and progressive cartilage destruction. The loss of immunological self-tolerance against autoantigens is the crucial insult responsible for the pathogenesis of RA. These immune abnormalities are experienced many years before the onset of clinical arthritis. T-cells are identified as the primary initiators of immunological abnormalities in RA. These RA T-cells show a distinct metabolic pattern compared to the healthy individuals. Dampened glycolytic flux, poor ATP production, and shifting of glucose to the pentose phosphate pathway resulting in increased NADPH and decreased ROS levels are the common metabolic patterns observed in RA T-cells. Defective mtDNA due to lack of MRE11A gene, a key molecular actor for resection, and inefficient lysosomal function due to misplacement of AMPK on the lysosomal surface were found to be responsible for mitochondrial and lysosome dysfunction in RA. Targeting this mechanism in RA can alleviate aggressive T-cell phenotype and may control the severity of RA.