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Updated: May 11, 2026

Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death
09:18

Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death

Published on: December 27, 2016

Danger signalling during cancer cell death: origins, plasticity and regulation

A D Garg1, S Martin, J Golab

  • 1Cell Death Research and Therapy (CDRT) Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium.

Cell Death and Differentiation
|May 21, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Cancer treatments can trigger immune responses through immunogenic cell death (ICD), releasing damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Understanding DAMPs and danger signaling is key to developing effective cancer immunotherapies.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Anti-cancer treatments can induce cancer cell death perceived as immunogenic or tolerogenic.
  • Immunogenic cell death (ICD) involves damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that promote anti-tumor immunity.
  • Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is crucial for ICD by coordinating DAMPs trafficking and immune responses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the molecular mechanisms of DAMPs in ICD.
  • To discuss the plasticity of danger signaling pathways.
  • To explore the immunological impact and therapeutic relevance of ICD in human cancers.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on molecular mechanisms of ICD.
  • Analysis of danger signaling pathways beyond ER stress (e.g., autophagy).
  • Discussion of effector mechanisms at the cancer-immune cell interface.

Main Results:

  • ICD is a critical mechanism for eliciting anti-tumor immunity.
  • ER stress plays a vital role in initiating ICD.
  • Emerging pathways like autophagy also influence danger signaling in ICD.

Conclusions:

  • DAMPs and their signaling pathways are crucial for ICD's therapeutic potential.
  • Understanding the interplay between dying cancer cells and immune cells is essential for cancer therapy.
  • Experimental models and conditions significantly influence observed ICD effects.

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