Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2025

Evaluation of Caspase Activation to Assess Innate Immune Cell Death
10:23

Evaluation of Caspase Activation to Assess Innate Immune Cell Death

Published on: January 20, 2023

3.2K

Innate immune sensing of cell death in disease and therapeutics

Si Ming Man1, Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti2

  • 1Division of Immunology and Infectious Disease, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. siming.man@anu.edu.au.

Nature Cell Biology
|September 2, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Innate immunity involves cell death pathways like pyroptosis and PANoptosis, crucial for host defense and disease. Understanding how dying cells amplify inflammation and activate adaptive immunity is key for therapeutic development.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Innate immunity, cell death, and inflammation are central to health and disease.
  • Regulated cell death pathways, including pyroptosis and PANoptosis, are activated by pathogen or damage signals.
  • These pathways are vital for host defense but also implicated in cancer and inflammatory diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore how innate immune cells sense dying cells and their released molecules.
  • To elucidate the amplification of inflammation and activation of adaptive immunity by cell death.
  • To identify molecular targets for therapeutic intervention in innate immune responses.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on innate immunity and regulated cell death.
  • Discussion of pattern-recognition and PANoptosome sensors.
  • Analysis of signaling pathways involved in cell death and immune activation.

Main Results:

  • Innate immune cells recognize cell-death signatures through specific sensors.
  • Dying cells and their products can amplify inflammation and influence antigen presentation.
  • Regulated cell death pathways play a dual role in host defense and pathology.

Conclusions:

  • Further research is needed to fully understand the crosstalk between cell death and adaptive immunity.
  • Targeting innate immune sensors offers potential therapeutic strategies for inflammatory diseases and cancer.
  • Regulated cell death pathways represent a critical nexus in immunity and disease pathogenesis.

More Related Videos

Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death09:18

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

Published on: December 27, 2016

8.6K
Author Spotlight: Understanding Cytokine-Induced Cell Death in Intestinal Epithelial Cells Using Human Organoids10:03

Author Spotlight: Understanding Cytokine-Induced Cell Death in Intestinal Epithelial Cells Using Human Organoids

Published on: August 2, 2024

1.3K

Related Concept Videos

Cells of the Innate Immune Response01:28

Cells of the Innate Immune Response

The innate immune response is an immediate and non-specific response against pathogens, acting swiftly to prevent the spread of infections. The primary cells involved in this response are phagocytes and natural killer (NK) cells.
Phagocytes
Phagocytes police the peripheral tissues by removing cellular debris and responding to the invasion of foreign substances or pathogens. Many phagocytes attack and remove microorganisms even before lymphocytes detect them. The human body has two general...
1.6K
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:17

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The extrinsic apoptotic pathway is initiated when extracellular death-inducing signals, such as specific cytokines, activate the death receptors expressed on the cell surface. The immune cells involved in this pathway are natural killer cells (NK cells) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. NK cells are critical in innate immune response, while cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are associated with adaptive immune response. These cells recognize specific receptors expressed on the altered cells and activate...
6.3K
Overview of Cell Death01:30

Overview of Cell Death

Cell death is an essential process where the body gets rid of old or damaged cells. Cell proliferation and death need to be balanced, as an imbalance between the two may lead to cancer or autoimmune diseases.
Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the...
7.1K
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
6.4K
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
861
Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells01:17

Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells

Cells undergoing apoptosis form apoptotic bodies that must be removed immediately to prevent inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and necrosis. Phagocytosis is carried out by professional phagocytes such as macrophages or  immature dendritic cells. Non-professional phagocytes such as  epithelial cells and fibroblasts also take part in this process; however, they are not as effective as professional phagocytes. 
Normal cells contain receptors that prevent them from being recognized...
3.7K