Sui Lina, Xi Yuling, Zheng Siping, Xiao Qiuxiang, Liu Zhiping
Center for Immunology, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, China.
School of Basic Medicine, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, China.
J Cancer. 2025 Jan 1;16(1):157-170. doi: 10.7150/jca.101473. eCollection 2025.
Absence in melanoma 2 (AIM2) protein functions as a double-stranded DNA sensor and is critical for host defense against intracellular bacterial and viral pathogens. Recent research has highlighted the significance of AIM2 in the pathogenesis of diverse malignancies. Through its recognition of foreign or intracellular dsDNA, AIM2 triggers inflammasome activation, resulting in the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-18, and induction of pyroptosis. Additionally, AIM2 can engage alternative signaling pathways, such as AKT and NF-κB, independent of inflammasome activation, to modulate cancer progression. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in understanding the involvement of AIM2 in the pathogenesis of different types of cancer through both inflammasome-dependent and inflammasome-independent mechanisms. Furthermore, we discuss the potential applications and challenges associated with targeting AIM2 in cancer therapy.
黑色素瘤缺失蛋白2（AIM2）作为一种双链DNA传感器，对宿主抵御细胞内细菌和病毒病原体至关重要。最近的研究突出了AIM2在多种恶性肿瘤发病机制中的重要性。通过识别外来或细胞内双链DNA，AIM2触发炎性小体激活，导致促炎细胞因子如IL-1β、IL-18的释放，并诱导细胞焦亡。此外，AIM2可参与替代信号通路，如AKT和NF-κB，独立于炎性小体激活，以调节癌症进展。本综述全面概述了通过炎性小体依赖性和炎性小体非依赖性机制理解AIM2参与不同类型癌症发病机制的最新进展。此外，我们讨论了在癌症治疗中靶向AIM2的潜在应用和挑战。
