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Igniting antitumour immunity with cancer cell pyroptosis

delete2026-07-27
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PRE
AI
X
Xin Liu
E
Elena Goldberg
J
Jonathan C. Kagan
H
Hao Wu *
DOI:10.1038/s41568-026-00959-3delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Gasdermins (GSDMs) are a family of pore-forming proteins that execute pyroptosis, a lytic form of programmed cell death associated with membrane rupture. This function of GSDMs was initially identified from studies of gasdermin D (GSDMD), which is cleaved and activated by inflammatory caspases in the inflammasome pathway. It is now established that other eukaryotic or pathogen-encoded proteases, as well as post-translational modifications, can also activate GSDM family members independent of inflammasomes and in multiple cell types including cancer cells. T cell granzyme-mediated GSDM activation, exogenous delivery of active GSDMs, and small molecule-induced activation of GSDMs in cancer cells have been shown to promote antitumour immunity through pyroptosis. Notably, only a fraction of cancer cells needs to undergo pyroptosis to induce immune cell infiltration and antitumour immunity with tolerable toxicity. Here, we summarize current knowledge on the role of pyroptosis in antitumour immunity, discuss pyroptosis in the context of other lytic forms of cell death, and provide an outlook on how cancer cell pyroptosis may synergize with existing immunotherapies. In this Review, Liu et al. discuss how pyroptosis, executed by a family of pore-forming proteins known as gasdermins, can induce antitumour immunity, which might be therapeutically leveraged for synergy with existing cancer immunotherapies.

Journal

Nature Reviews Cancer cover
Nature Reviews Cancer
IF:
66.8
Papers:
3.8K
Citations:
6.0W

Organization

H
harvard medical school
Scholars:
4.6K
Papers: 2.1K
Citations: 2
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