Abstract:Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer globally, and the 5-year survival rate remains below 50%. Recently, pyroptosis as a newly defined programmed cell death mode has attracted wordwide attention. This process is activated by the inflammatory cysteine asparaginase proteases (Caspase) and relies on the gasdermin protein family to form stable pores across the plasma membrane of cells. Studies have indicated that pyroptosis plays a vital role in tumor progression and therapy resistance. Activated inflammasomes, as members of the Nucleotide oligomerization domain like receptor (NLR) family, can trigger Caspase-1, thereby inducing inflammatory effects and pyroptosis, further influencing the course of the tumor disease. However, research on the relationship between pyroptosis and HNSCC remains limited. This paper reviews the existing literature on pyroptosis and emphasizes the importance of further studies focusing on the role of pyroptosis in HNSCC.
