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Review
. 2025 Aug 26:13:e19922.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.19922. eCollection 2025.

Role of pyroptosis in pregnancy-related diseases

Wanlu Li  1 , Rui Zheng  2 , Chaoqun Shi  1 , Deqing Chen  1 , Yixin Sun  1 , Bo Hu  2 , Guangtao Xu  1
Affiliations
Review

Role of pyroptosis in pregnancy-related diseases

Wanlu Li et al. PeerJ. .

Abstract

Pyroptosis, a form of programmed cell death characterized by inflammasome-mediated cellular swelling and membrane perforation. This pathway is involved in diverse pathophysiological processes, including inflammatory diseases and tumors. Notably, the role of pyroptosis in pregnancy-related diseases such as preeclampsia, recurrent spontaneous abortion, neonatal developmental dysplasia, preterm birth, and gestational diabetes mellitus has not been elucidated yet. This review aims to systematically dissect the molecular basis of pyroptosis in pregnancy-related diseases and summarize emerging therapeutic strategies targeting pyroptosis and inflammasomes. We first outline the mechanistic link between pyroptosis, inflammasome activation, and maternal-fetal immune regulation. Subsequent sections focus on the putative roles of pyroptotic pathways in the pathogenesis of major pregnancy complications, integrating recent findings from preclinical and clinical studies. Elucidating pyroptosis-mediated mechanisms may pave the way for developing targeted therapies to improve outcomes in pregnancy-related diseases.

Keywords: Gestational diabetes mellitus; Neonatal developmental dysplasia; Preeclampsia; Pregnancy; Preterm birth; Pyroptosis; Recurrent spontaneous abortion.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. An overview of pyroptosis in pregnancy-related diseases.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Canonical and non-canonical pathway of apoptosis in pregnancy-related diseases.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Schematic diagram of pyroptosis in BPD.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Signaling pathways of pyroptosis in preterm birth.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Summary of the molecular mechanisms of pyroptosis-regulated cell death in GDM.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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