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Updated: Oct 29, 2026

Visualizing Mitophagy with Fluorescent Dyes for Mitochondria and Lysosome
Published on: November 30, 2022
Unraveling the pyroptosis-mitophagy axis: from molecular mechanisms to therapeutic opportunities
Jiaqi Ban1, Ranxing Chen1, Lihong Ao1
1School of Public Health, the Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.
Abstract:
Mitophagy and pyroptosis are central regulators of cell fate and inflammation, and they form a complex bidirectional network across many diseases. Mitophagy suppresses NLRP3 inflammasome activation by removing damaged mitochondria and thereby reducing mtROS and mtDNA release, which blocks pyroptosis. Conversely, pyroptosis can inhibit mitophagy by releasing inflammatory mediators and activating caspase-1, creating reinforcing or counterbalancing feedback loops. Signaling modules such as PINK1/Parkin, NOD2-RIPK2, Nrf2/HO-1, and AMPK critically modulate both mitophagy and pyroptosis. These processes interact broadly in organ injuries of the brain, liver, kidney, lung, bone, and heart to determine inflammation intensity and cell survival. Natural small molecules and traditional Chinese medicine that target the mitophagy-pyroptosis axis can modify pathological states including neurodegeneration, metabolic inflammation, and immune evasion, and thus represent a promising strategy for precision therapy.
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