Pyroptosis in urinary malignancies: a literature review

Abstract

Urinary neoplasms refer to malignant tumours occurring in any part of the urinary system, including the kidney, renal pelvis, ureter, bladder, prostate, etc. The worldwide incidence of urinary system tumours has been increasing yearly. Available methods include surgical treatment, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, molecular targeted therapy, and immune therapy. In recent years, emerging evidence has demonstrated that cell pyroptosis plays an important role in the occurrence and progression of malignant urinary tumours. Pyroptosis is a new type of cell death that involves inflammatory processes regulated by gasdermins (GSDMs) and is characterized by membrane perforation, cell swelling and cell rupture. Recent studies have shown that pyroptosis can inhibit and promote the development of tumours. This manuscript reviews the role of pyroptosis in the development and progression of prostate cancer, kidney cancer and bladder cancer and introduces the latest research results in these fields to discuss the therapeutic potential of the pyroptosis pathway in urinary malignancies.

A review focusing on the role of pyroptosis in prostate cancer

“…[ 5 ] Pyroptosis has emerged as a prominent research topic in recent years, with multiple studies demonstrating its pivotal role in modulating signaling pathways implicated in the development of PCa. [ 73 ] The major pyroptosis pathways implicated in PCa encompass the caspase-1, caspase-3 and caspase-4/5/11 signaling cascades. [ 65 , 74 ] Xu et al observed an upregulation of NLRP3 expression in both PCa tissues and cell lines, as well as a promotion of PCa malignancy through NLRP3 overexpression.…”