Igniting antitumour immunity with cancer cell pyroptosis.

Activation of gasdermin-induced pyroptosis in cancer cells can trigger antitumour immunity with only a fraction of cells undergoing pyroptosis.

• Why it matters: Understanding how pyroptosis promotes immune responses is crucial for developing effective cancer immunotherapies, especially since current treatments often face resistance.
• What they did: The study reviews how GSDMs are activated independently of inflammasomes through various proteases and modifications, and how inducing pyroptosis in cancer cells enhances immune cell infiltration and antitumour effects.
• The result: Inducing pyroptosis in cancer cells may boost antitumour immunity with tolerable toxicity and could work synergistically with existing immunotherapies, offering promising therapeutic strategies.