Advances in research of pyroptosis in the mechanism of periodontal disease

Pyroptosis is a pro-inflammatory form of programmed cell death that has been gradually recognized in recent years. It plays an important role in recognizing the invasion of exogenous pathogens and sensing endogenous danger signals. The initiation of pyroptosis depends on the activation of intracellular inflammasome and its downstream caspases, as well as the active fragment of the key protein Gasdermin. The invasion of periodontal pathogens induces an inflammatory response of the host, involving the activation of inflammasome and triggering pyroptosis as well. Meanwhile, it leads to the release of a large number of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 to amplify the inflammatory response and mediate periodontal tissue destruction eventually. This article reviews the research progress of the signaling pathways of pyroptosis, as well as its mechanism induced by periodontal pathogens and the mechanism of periodontal tissue damage in periodontitis in order to provide new targets and ideas for the prevention and treatment of periodontitis.