Cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase (caspase)-6 belongs to the caspase family and plays a vital role in mediating cell death. Under certain conditions, three pathways of programmed cell death (PCD), including apoptosis, necroptosis and pyroptosis (PANoptosis), transform one way into another, with enormous therapeutic potential. Initially, scholars reported that caspase-6 is a caspase executor that mediates apoptosis. With the ceaseless exploration of the PCD types, studies have demonstrated that caspase-6 mediates pyroptosis by regulating gasdermin D and mediates necroptosis by regulating mixed lineage kinase domain-like. By regulating PANoptosis, caspase-6 plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis in humans and mediates anti-tumour immunity. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of caspase-6 function in cancer via PANoptosis is important for the prevention and therapy of tumours. This article summarized the function of caspase-6 in PANoptosis and its impact on cancer development, providing targets and strategies for tumour treatment.
Keywords: PANoptosis; apoptosis; cancer; caspase-6; necroptosis; pyroptosis.
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