REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Disorders: Autoinflammatory Disorders
This article is part of the Research TopicCommunity Series in Autoimmunity and Chronic Inflammation in Early Life: Volume IIView all articles
Pyroptosis-Driven Immune Dysregulation in COPD: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications
Provisionally accepted
- 1Affiliated Zhuhai Hospital, Southern Medical University, Zhuhai Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese & Western Medicine, Zhuhai 519000, Guangdong, China., Zhuhai, China
- 2Northeastern University, Boston, United States
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Pyroptosis, a programmed cell death mechanism mediated by gasdermin proteins such as GSDMD, is typically activated by inflammasomes. While essential for host defense against infections, excessive pyroptosis contributes to chronic inflammation and exacerbates inflammatory diseases. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), dysregulated pyroptosis interacts with immune cells—including neutrophils, macrophages, and T lymphocytes—to perpetuate inflammation, tissue damage, and acute exacerbations. This review explores the molecular mechanisms of pyroptosis, its cell-type-specific roles in COPD pathogenesis, and its implications for therapeutic targeting. By synthesizing evidence from primary research, we highlight how pyroptosis influences immune dysregulation in COPD and propose novel strategies for disease management.
Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pyroptosis, GSDMD, immune responses disease, Inflammasome, Therapeutic targeting
Received: 15 Aug 2025; Accepted: 30 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ni, Huang, Chen, Chen, Huang and Jiang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Zebo Jiang
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