Published online Nov 26, 2018. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v6.i14.745
Peer-review started: August 19, 2018
First decision: October 5, 2018
Revised: October 18, 2018
Accepted: October 31, 2018
Article in press: November 1, 2018
Published online: November 26, 2018
Processing time: 101 Days and 2.6 Hours
For a long time, it was believed that apoptosis and necrosis were the main pathways for cell death, but a growing body of research has shown that there are other pathways. Among these, necroptosis, a regulatory caspase-independent, programmed cell death pathway, is supposed to be of importance in the pathogenesis of many diseases. The mechanism of regulating, inducing and blocking necroptosis is a complex process that involves expression and regulation of a series of molecules including receptor interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), RIPK3, and mixed lineage kinase like protein. By blocking or downregulating expression of key molecules in the necroptotic pathway, intestinal inflammation can be affected to some extent. In this paper, we introduce the concept of necroptosis, its main pathway, and its impact on the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other intestinal diseases, to explore new drug targets for intestinal diseases, including IBD.
Core tip: This minireview is based on the currently available literature about necroptosis and aims to uncover the role of necroptosis in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease and other intestinal diseases, including colorectal cancer and intestinal infectious diseases. The main regulatory pathways for necroptosis are summarized. Drug therapy targeting of necroptosis is also described.