Metabolic Checkpoints: Targeting Immunometabolism as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy in Neurologic Diseases

Immunity and metabolism have been considered two relatively independent systems for decades. In recent years these two systems have been shown to interact with each other and jointly maintain homeostasis. This review integrates multidisciplinary approaches in the field of neuroimmunometabolism research, encompassing metabolic flux analysis, in vivo imaging, and multi-omics integration, while assessing applicability and constraints in decoding cellular metabolic states. Therapeutic targets are discussed across metabolic pathways (glycolysis, mitochondrial metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and lipid metabolism). The review further establishes connections between neurologic disorders and metabolic targets, thereby introducing immunometabolism as a pivotal regulator of immune cell function in the CNS. These new findings provide deeper insights into metabolic reprogramming, paving the way for future targeted therapies by targeting metabolic pathways in the treatment of neuroinflammation and neurologic disorders.