Targeting inflammasomes - as an immunotherapeutic strategy for cancer

Sep 23, 2026

Inflammasomes are central regulators of innate immunity, inflammation, and programmed cell death, influencing cancer progression and tumor control. They assemble in response to DAMPs and PAMPs and activate caspases to drive inflammatory cytokine maturation, including IL-1β and IL-18. The review highlights pyroptosis in immune cells and tumor cells, enabling CD8+ T-cell–mediated anti-tumor responses. It surveys four inflammasome types (NLRP1, NLRP3, NLRC4, AIM2) and summarizes inhibitors under clinical investigation for tumor inflammasome pathways within the tumor microenvironment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Inflammation and cancer progression

Innate immunity and inflammasome activation

Huang et al. Journal of Translational Medicine (2025) 23:634 [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-025-06665-2](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-025-06665-2) Journal of Translational Medicine REVIEW Open Access Targeting inflammasomes as an immunotherapeutic strategy for cancer Luanluan Huang1†, Xiaoyan Chen1†, Ruiqi Liu1†, Ding Nan2, Wenxuan Bao3, LixianYang1, Xiaomeng Dai3, Jianming Tang4*, Haibo Zhang1* andYanwei Lu 1* Abstract Inflammasomes are essential regulators of innate immunity, inflammation, and cellular apoptosis, and they have surfacedas significant modulators of cancer progression and regulation. Inflammasomes are macromolecular complexes assembled in response to damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). They induce inflammation via the oligomerization and activation of caspases. These cysteine proteases cleave the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 into their physiologically active mature versions. Recent discoveries reveal that inflammasomes are implicated not only in infections but also in malignancies, suggesting a significant connection between inflammation and tumor development. This article emphasizes that inflammasomes cause pyroptosis in a variety of immune cells, such as dendritic cells, macrophages, T cells, and fibroblasts, in addition to tumor cells. The induction of CD8+ T cells allows inflammasomes to commence an immunological response against the tumor, successfully inhibiting its growth and progression. The inflammasome comprises four main types: NLRP1, NLRP3, NLRC4, and AIM2. Nevertheless, the inflammasomes are activated by infection, injury, or stimulation of host cells, thus triggering the inflammatory response. The essential roles of the NLRP1, NLRP3, NLRC4, and AIM2 inflammasomes are emphasized in both tumors and immune cells. Furthermore, the article provides an overview of inhibitors targeting various tumor inflammasome pathways currently in clinical trials. Here, in this review, we underscore the role of the inflammatory response in cancer progression and highlight the significance of inflammasomes in regulating immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. Targeting these inflammasomes offers novel strategies for cancers. Keywords Inflammasome, Immunotherapy, Tumor microenvironment, Immune cells †The authors Luanluan Huang, Xiaoyan Chen, and Ruiqi Liu have contributed equally to this work. *Correspondence: Jianming Tang [15900792812@163.com](15900792812@163.com)[ ](15900792812@163.com)Haibo Zhang [zhbdoctor@163.com](zhbdoctor@163.com)[ ](zhbdoctor@163.com)Yanwei Lu [309960266@qq.com](309960266@qq.com) 1 Cancer Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (Affiliated People’s Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China 2 Graduate Department, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China 3 Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China 4 Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China Introduction Cancer is one of the most prevalent causes of death worldwide, and its prevalence is continuously increasing [1]. In the process of tumor development, inflammation is widely regarded as a crucial factor. Early in the mid-nineteenth century, researchers first discovered the connection between inflammation and cancer [2]. Inflammation plays a role in the progression of cancer and is closely associated with the efficacy of anticancer treatments [3]. Inflammation has the potential to improve the efficacy of the antitumor immune response by promoting the infiltration and activity of immune cells. The growth and development of malignancies can be regulated by the © The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licens

FAQs

What are inflammasomes and what roles do they play in cancer?

Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes that regulate innate immunity, inflammation, and cellular apoptosis. They contribute to tumor development and can also promote anti-tumor immune responses through pyroptosis and subsequent immune activation.

How are inflammasomes activated?

Inflammasomes are activated by signals such as infection, cellular injury, or host-cell stimulation. These triggers lead to an inflammatory response through caspase oligomerization and activation.

Which inflammasome types are discussed in the review?

The review emphasizes four canonical inflammasome types: NLRP1, NLRP3, NLRC4, and AIM2. Their essential roles are described in both tumors and immune cells.

Sep 23, 2026

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