Commun Biol. 2026 Jun 10;9(1):786. doi: 10.1038/s42003-026-10475-7.
ABSTRACT
Inflammasome activation and pyroptosis are central to innate immune responses and play either protective or detrimental roles in host defense. Inhibiting these processes holds significant therapeutic promise for diseases exacerbated by inflammasome activation. However, clinically targeting this pathway remains challenging, as blocking pyroptosis may trigger alternative cell death pathways. In this mini-review, we summarize bacterial and viral infections in which inflammasome activation and pyroptosis are detrimental to host defense, explore the mechanisms underlying cell death switching, and discuss how effectively blocking multiple cell death pathways and potential interconversions represents a key consideration for current intervention strategies.
PMID:42271078 | DOI:10.1038/s42003-026-10475-7