Pyroptosis, a lytic form of programmed cell death mediated by gasdermin family pore-forming proteins, has rapidly emerged as a pivotal research theme in cell death and immunology in recent years. Gasdermin proteins are highly conserved across a wide range of species—from mammals and fungi to bacteria—and play essential and diverse roles in host defense and the maintenance of immune homeostasis.
For the first time, we are convening a Keystone-style symposium dedicated to this remarkable protein family. The meeting will comprehensively explore both inflammasome-dependent and inflammasome-independent functions of gasdermins across model organisms and human systems. Sessions will also address the mechanistic and structural basis of gasdermin autoinhibition, activation, and post-translational regulation, as well as their promising applications in the development of novel therapeutics for a range of human diseases.