Fig. 3
From: The crosstalk between immune cells and tumor pyroptosis: advancing cancer immunotherapy strategies
Molecular mechanisms of T cells and NK cells on pyroptosis. CD8+T cells and NK cells induce cancer cell pyroptosis by secreting GzmA and GzmB, which are enzymes capable of cleaving GSDMB and GSDME, respectively. In addition, activated cytotoxic lymphocytes release IFN-γ, upregulating GSDMB expression in cancer cells. Activated NK cells release TNF-α, increasing the expression of endogenous GSDMB and promoting pyroptosis induced by GzmA. IL-17A, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, mainly secreted by γδT cells in the immune microenvironment of colorectal tumours, could promote intracellular ROS accumulation by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, IL-17A could induce pyroptosis of colorectal cancer cells and significantly upregulate the secretion of inflammatory factors