Going forward with genetics: paradigm shifts in fiery cell death

Abstract

Cells die in various ways. Apoptosis, often called an immunologically “silent” death, is one of these ways. Pyroptosis (“pyro” from the Greek word for fire), in contrast, is a genetically programmed “noisy” death that initiates inflammation. Pyroptosis occurs in multiple cell types including innate immune cells and epithelial cells in response to various pathogenic and sterile insults, which are triggers for inflammatory diseases such as sepsis. Our pyroptosis pursuits, powered by forward genetics, have unveiled unexpected cellular machineries that cleverly destroys plasma membranes causing cells to burst.