Pyroptosis is a form of lytic inflammatory programmed cell death that is mediated by the pore‑forming gasdermins (GSDMs) to stimulate immune responses through the release of pro‑inflammatory interleukin (IL)‑1β, IL‑18 (mainly in GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis) as well as danger signals such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) or high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) (reviewed in Shi J et al. 2017; Man SM et al. 2017; Tang D et al. 2019; Lieberman J et al. 2019). Pyroptosis protects the host from microbial infection but can also lead to pathological inflammation if overactivated or dysregulated (reviewed in Orning P et al. 2019; Tang D et al. 2019). During infections, the excessive production of cytokines can lead to a cytokine storm, which is associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) (reviewed in Tisoncik JR et al. 2012; Karki R et al. 2020; Ragab D et al. 2020). Pyroptosis has a close but complicated relationship to tumorigenesis, affected by tissue type and genetic background. Pyroptosis can sometimes inhibit the occurrence and development of tumors, while in other cases, as a type of proinflammatory death, pyroptosis can contribute to the formation of a microenvironment suitable for tumor cell growth (reviewed in Xia X et al. 2019; Jiang M et al. 2020; Zhang Z et al. 2021).
This Reactome module describes the defective GSDME function caused by cancer‑related GSDME mutations (Zhang Z et al. 2020). It also shows epigenetic inactivation of GSDME due to hypermethylation of the GSDME promoter region (Akino K et al. 2007; Kim MS et al. 2008a,b; Croes L et al. 2017, 2018; Ibrahim J et al. 2019). Aberrant promoter methylation is considered to be a hallmark of cancer (Ehrlich M et al. 2002; Dong Y et al. 2014; Lam K et al. 2016; Croes L et al. 2018). Treatment with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor decitabine (5‑aza‑2'‑deoxycytidine or DAC) may elevate GSDME expression in certain cancer cells (Akino K et al. 2007; Fujikane T et al. 2009).
Ibrahim, J, Op de Beeck, K, Fransen, E, Croes, L, Beyens, M, Suls, A, Vanden Berghe, W, Peeters, M, Van Camp, G
Zhang, Z, Zhang, Y, Xia, S, Kong, Q, Li, S, Liu, X, Junqueira, C, Meza-Sosa, KF, Mok, TMY, Ansara, J, Sengupta, S, Yao, Y, Wu, H, Lieberman, J
Tang, L, Lu, C, Zheng, G, Burgering, BM
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