The Role of cGAS-STING-Driven PANoptosis in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Therapeutic Prospects
Neurodegenerative diseases share features of neuronal loss, neuroinflammation, and protein aggregation. The cGAS-STING pathway, a key DNA sensor, mediates neuroinflammation via TBK1-IRF3 and IKK-NF-κB axes, inducing type I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines. This pathway upregulates ZBP1, promotes PANoptosome assembly, and triggers PANoptosis, releasing DAMPs and creating a self-amplifying “inflammation–death” cycle. In Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, pathological proteins (Aβ, Tau, α-synuclein, TDP-43) or genetic defects (e.g., C9orf72 repeats) cause mitochondrial DNA leakage or genomic instability, activating this axis. This review highlights the cGAS-STING-PANoptotic cascade as a shared pathogenic mechanism and discusses the current evidence and remaining challenges in confirming this hypothesis.