Danger or Salvation? The Role of DAMPs in Cancer Therapy

Background: Modern oncology views immune system dysfunction as a key factor in carcinogenesis. The induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD), a form of regulated cell death capable of activating adaptive immunity, represents a promising therapeutic strategy. Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) play a central role in this process. This review aims to summarize current knowledge of DAMPs, their release mechanisms during ICD, their classification, and their prognostic and therapeutic significance in antitumor immunity. Methods: We systematically reviewed and synthesized literature published in Pubmed and Google Scholar on ICD and DAMPs, focusing on distinct forms of DAMPs which were categorized based on recognition mechanisms (five classes) and cellular origin (extracellular, mitochondrial, nuclear, and cytosolic). Key molecules, their receptors, downstream signaling pathways, and clinical associations were analyzed. Results: The spatiotemporally coordinated release of the pattern of DAMPs promotes dendritic cell maturation, antigen presentation, activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, and elimination of tumor cells. DAMPs can exhibit a dual role: they are able to induce sterile inflammation essential for antitumor immunity, but may also contribute to metastasis and chronic inflammation. Among all DAMPs, high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1, a nuclear DAMP) and calreticulin (CRT, a cytosolic protein) demonstrate the greatest prognostic value. Other DAMPs (e.g., extracellular matrix components, uric acid) act as signal amplifiers during various forms of cell death. Conclusions: Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of DAMP release is critical for activating immune responses against malignant cells. Monitoring DAMPs may improve patient stratification, predict therapeutic responses, and enable personalized immunotherapeutic strategies. Further investigation of ICD mechanisms and DAMP release represents a fundamental basis for developing novel anticancer therapies.