Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2025

A Microphysiological System to Study Leukocyte-Endothelial Cell Interaction during Inflammation
12:55

A Microphysiological System to Study Leukocyte-Endothelial Cell Interaction during Inflammation

Published on: December 9, 2021

3.2K

Pyroptosis in Kawasaki disease: from mechanisms to targeted interventions

Xiang-Yu Han1, Hui-Ru Qi2

  • 1Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, Peking University Institute of Nephrology, Beijing, China.

Frontiers in Immunology
|May 1, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Kawasaki disease involves systemic vasculitis. Pyroptosis, an inflammatory cell death, may significantly contribute to this condition and its complications, offering new therapeutic targets.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Pediatric Rheumatology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Kawasaki disease (KD) is a common childhood autoimmune disorder causing systemic vasculitis, particularly affecting coronary arteries.
  • While often self-limiting, some children develop IVIG-resistant KD, leading to persistent, life-threatening coronary artery aneurysms.
  • Pyroptosis, a pro-inflammatory form of programmed cell death, releases inflammatory mediators and damages tissues like endothelial cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current understanding of pyroptosis's role in Kawasaki disease.
  • To explore pyroptosis as a potential therapeutic target for KD.

Main Methods:

  • Review of in vitro studies and animal models investigating pyroptosis in KD.
  • Analysis of inflammatory cascades and endothelial cell damage in KD pathogenesis.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests pyroptosis plays a significant role in KD pathogenesis.
  • Pyroptosis contributes to inflammatory mediator release and endothelial cell injury in KD.

Conclusions:

  • Pyroptosis is implicated in the inflammatory processes and vascular injury seen in Kawasaki disease.
  • Targeting pyroptosis presents a promising avenue for novel therapeutic strategies in KD treatment.

Keywords:
Kawasaki diseaseinflammationinterventionmechanismpyroptosis

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Developing Tools to Tune the Activity of Tyrosine Phosphatases06:56

Author Spotlight: Developing Tools to Tune the Activity of Tyrosine Phosphatases

Published on: September 6, 2024

263
Evaluation of Caspase Activation to Assess Innate Immune Cell Death10:23

Evaluation of Caspase Activation to Assess Innate Immune Cell Death

Published on: January 20, 2023

3.0K

Related Concept Videos

Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers01:26

Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers

Receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are two critical categories of drugs employed in the treatment of pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). PAH is a disease that causes high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, resulting in chest pain, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...
89
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Prostacyclin Receptor Agonists01:23

Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Prostacyclin Receptor Agonists

Prostacyclin receptor agonists are a class of therapeutic agents integral to managing pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). These drugs operate by mimicking the action of prostaglandin I2, or PGI2, a naturally occurring compound in the body.
These agonists bind to the IPR receptor situated on the plasma membrane of the pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. This binding triggers a cascade of reactions known as the GS-AC-cAMP-PKA pathway. This pathway results in the relaxation of smooth muscle...
97
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway01:20

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

Several cytokine receptors have tightly bound Janus kinase or JAK proteins attached at their cytosolic tail. Small signaling molecules such as cytokines, growth hormones, or prolactins bind to the cytokine receptors and initiate their dimerization. The dimerization brings the cytosolic JAKs together that trans-phosphorylate and activates each other. The activated JAKs now phosphorylate cytosolic tails of the cytokine receptors, which serve as binding sites for adaptor proteins such as  SH2...
8.4K
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway02:26

NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway

The transcription factor NF-κB was discovered in 1986 in the lab of Nobel laureate Professor David Baltimore, for its interaction with the immunoglobulin light chain enhancer in B-cells. After more than three decades of study, it is now evident that NF-κB regulates the expression of over 100 genes. Most of these genes play an essential role in the innate and adaptive immune responses as well as the inflammatory responses of animals.
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The...
7.2K
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
7.4K
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Endothelin Receptor Antagonists01:18

Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Endothelin Receptor Antagonists

Endothelins (ETs) are potent vasoactive peptides critical in the human body's various physiological and pathological processes. One of the most promising therapeutic strategies for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) involves counteracting the effects of these endothelins using a class of drugs known as endothelin receptor antagonists.
ETs are synthesized through a complex sequence of enzymatic steps, primarily involving an enzyme referred to as endothelin-converting enzyme...
82