The Role of ASC Inflammasomes in Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive and highly lethal malignancy.The dysregulation of the immune system plays a role in the progression of the disease. Inflammasomes are key regulators of innate immunity in chronic inflammatory disorders and autoimmune diseases, but their role in PDAC remains ill-defined. The findings in this work show that elevated ASC levels are a key feature of PDAC and supports the role of ASC as a tumor promoter in PDAC through mediating IL-18 rather than IL-1β. Understanding the currently ill-defined role of ASC inflammasomes in PDAC may provide novel biomarkers and druggable candidates for targeted therapy for PDAC patients.