Unraveling the pleiotropic roles of the mTOR-glycolytic axis in ulcerative colitis: from immunometabolic dysregulation to mucosal barrier remodeling
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory disorder of the colonic mucosa, whose pathogenesis is intricately linked to metabolic reprogramming within both immune and epithelial compartments. The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway serves as a central immunometabolic hub that integrates nutrient availability, microbial cues, and inflammatory signals to orchestrate glycolytic flux, thereby profoundly shaping the functional plasticity of diverse intestinal cell populations. This review systematically delineates, from a cell-type-specific perspective, the divergent regulatory roles of the mTOR-glycolysis axis in intestinal immunity and mucosal barrier homeostasis. We first outline the core molecular architecture of mTORC1/mTORC2-driven glycolytic reprogramming, highlighting key regulatory nodes including GLUT1/3-mediated glucose uptake, HK2-dependent rate-limiting phosphorylation, and PKM2-governed metabolic-transcriptional switching. Subsequently, we examine how aberrant mTOR-glycolysis axis activation in neutrophils, macrophages, type 3 innate lymphoid cells, and CD4+ T effector subsets propagates a feed-forward inflammatory loop-exacerbating oxidative burst, NETosis, M1 polarization, and Th17 pathogenicity-while simultaneously undermining the metabolic fitness and suppressive integrity of regulatory T cells. Moreover, we discuss the metabolic rewiring of intestinal epithelial cells via the mTOR-glycolysis axis, which compromises barrier integrity, disrupts epithelial regeneration, and initiates a "metabolic-secretory" crosstalk that perpetuates mucosal inflammation. Collectively, this review positions the mTOR-glycolysis axis as a rheostat governing the transition from homeostatic immunosurveillance to pathogenic inflammation in UC, and proposes that cell-selective metabolic checkpoint targeting-rather than broad systemic inhibition-represents a promising precision strategy for future therapeutic intervention.
- Journal
- Frontiers in immunology(2026)
- Authors
- 6名
- Type
- Journal Article, Review