Advances of Caspase-11 for veterinary respiratory infections

Respiratory diseases represent a major health burden in global livestock production and are driven by bacterial and viral pathogens that trigger severe inflammatory responses and substantial economic losses. Caspase-11 serves as a core component of the non-canonical inflammasome, functioning as an intracellular lipopolysaccharide (LPS) sensor that mediates pyroptosis and inflammatory cytokine maturation. Although extensively studied in human and murine systems, the role of Caspase-11 in veterinary respiratory infections remains poorly characterized. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the structural and regulatory features of the Caspase-11 non-canonical inflammasome, with an emphasis on its involvement in infections caused by major veterinary pathogens, such as Pasteurella multocida and Streptococcus suis. We further evaluated emerging Caspase-11-targeted therapeutic strategies, including anti-inflammatory agents, vaccine adjuvants, and gene-editing approaches, while critically assessing their translational potential in livestock species. By delineating key knowledge gaps, this review highlights the imperative for species-specific functional studies to inform the development of effective interventions against veterinary respiratory diseases.