Figure 2.

Different metabolic demands of naive, activated, and memory T cells. Naive and memory T cells skew towards oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), whereas activated T cells skew towards aerobic glycolysis. This metabolic shift in the T cells (OXPHOS → aerobic glycolysis) is the activation benchmark known as the Warburg effect. The naive T cells are quiescent in nature, with no net growth, whereas activated T cells show boosted nutrient uptake and growth in biomass, ultimately leading to cell growth and proliferation. Memory T cells have basal nutrient uptake, but they show increased mitochondrial mass and spare respiratory capacity, helping them increase their longevity.