The STING signaling pathways and bacterial infection.

As antibiotic-resistant bacteria continue to emerge frequently, bacterial infections have become a significant and pressing challenge to global public health. Innate immunity triggers the activation of host responses by sensing "non-self" components through various pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), serving as the first line of antibacterial defense. Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is a PRR that binds with cyclic dinucleotides (CDN) to exert effects against bacteria, viruses, and cancer by inducing the production of type I interferon and inflammatory cytokines, and facilitating regulated cell death. Currently, drugs targeting the STING signaling pathway are predominantly applied in the fields of modulating host immune defense against cancer and viral infections, with relatively limited application in treating bacterial infections. Given the significant immunomodulatory functions of STING in the interaction between bacteria and hosts, this review summarizes the research progress on STING signaling pathways and their roles in bacterial infection, as well as the novel functions of STING modulators, aiming to offer insights for the development of antibacterial drugs.