Differential Fuel Requirements of Human NK Cells and Human CD8 T Cells: Glutamine Regulates Glucose Uptake in Strongly Activated CD8 T Cells.

CD8 T cells and NK cells are the two major cytotoxic lymphocytes that carry out cell-mediated immunity and regulate other immune responses. However, we do not completely understand human CD8 T cell and NK cell metabolic requirements and they have not been compared in the same experiments. We activated human CD8 T cells by two anti-CD3/CD28 mAb methods, and we stimulated both CD8 T cells and NK cells with IL-12/IL-18.