The protease caspase-1: Activation pathways and functions

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Immunology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Caspase-1 is a central mediator of inflammatory caspases.
• It is implicated in inflammation, cell death, and inflammatory diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review advances in caspase-1 activation and functions.
• To provide references for understanding caspase-1's molecular mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of published articles.
• Literature search across PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.
• Focus on caspase-1, inflammation, pyroptosis, apoptosis, and cell death.

Main Results:

• Caspase-1 executes programmed cell death, including pyroptosis and apoptosis, in immune cells.
• Multiple pathways activate caspase-1, mediating cell death and inflammation.
• Caspase-1 controls pyroptosis, apoptosis, and inflammation, beyond cleaving IL-1β.

Conclusions:

• Caspase-1 plays a critical role in initiating and controlling pyroptosis, apoptosis, and inflammation.
• Advancements in understanding caspase-1-mediated cell death inspire novel therapeutic approaches.
• Further research into caspase-1 substrates may lead to new treatments for inflammatory conditions.