Obesity altered T cell metabolism and the response to infection

•Obesity impairs immune response through altered T cell activation and function.•Obese adipocytes promote pro-inflammatory milieu altering T cell repertoire.•Excess nutrients and adipokines may activate T cells in pathogen-free environments.

An epidemic of obesity over the past three decades increases the risk of chronic and infectious diseases for adults and children alike. Within the past few years, obesity has been shown to impair the adaptive immune response to infection through alterations in T cell functioning. Growing evidence suggests that perturbations in T cell metabolism drives this stunted immune response, stemming from nutrient, hormone and adipokine dysregulation in the obese. In this review, recent findings in the fields of obesity and T cell mediated immunity demonstrate a unique relationship between altered mechanisms of T cell metabolic homeostasis and plasticity of adaptive immune responses in the obese setting.