Figure 1.

Metabolic profiles of CD8⁺ T cells during an immune response. Upon acute infection, the activation of naive CD8⁺ T cells triggers massive expansion and differentiation into effector T cells, which contribute directly to pathogen clearance. TCR signaling stimulates aerobic glycolysis to support the intense cell proliferation. Following the elimination of the antigen, the majority of CD8⁺ T cells undergoes the contraction phase. However, a small percentage of T cells survive and form memory subsets, which can provide long‐term protection. These cells rely on fatty‐acid oxidation and oxidative phosphorylation for their maintenance.