Inflammatory caspase regulation: maintaining balance between inflammation and cell death in health and disease

Members of the mammalian inflammatory caspase family, including caspase‐1, caspase‐4, caspase‐5, caspase‐11, and caspase‐12, are key regulators of the innate immune response. Most studies to date have focused on the role of caspase‐1 in the maturation of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin‐1β and its upstream regulation by the inflammasome signaling complexes. However, an emerging body of research has supported a role for caspase‐4, caspase‐5, and caspase‐11 in both regulating caspase‐1 activation and inducing the inflammatory form of cell death called pyroptosis. This inflammatory caspase pathway appears essential for the regulation of cytokine processing. Consequently, insight into this noncanonical pathway may reveal important and, to date, understudied targets for the treatment of autoinflammatory disorders where the inflammasome pathway is dysregulated. Here, we will discuss the mechanisms of inflammasome and inflammatory caspase activation and how these pathways intersect to promote pathogen clearance.