Spectosis: One small step for NLRP3 but a giant leap for human mature red blood cells

References

[1] Lam LKM, Murphy S, Kokkinaki D, et al. DNA binding to TLR9 expressed by red blood cells promotes innate immune activation and anemia. Sci Transl Med. 2021; 13(616): eabj1008.

[2] Panch SR, Montemayor-Garcia C, Klein HG. Hemolytic transfusion reactions. N Engl J Med. 2019; 381(2): 150-162.

[3] Hajishengallis G, Reis ES, Mastellos DC, et al. Novel mechanisms and functions of complement. Nat Immunol. 2017; 18(12): 1288-1298

[4] Chen Y, Chen S, Liu Z, et al. Red blood cells undergo lytic programmed cell death involving NLRP3. Cell. 2025; 188(11): 3013-3029.

[5] Zhou R, Yazdi AS, Menu P, et al. A role for mitochondria in NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Nature. 2011; 469(7329): 221-5.

[6] Yuan J, Ofengeim D. A guide to cell death pathways. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2024; 25(5): 379-395.

[7] Lang E, Lang F, Mechanisms and pathophysiological significance of eryptosis, the suicidal erythrocyte death. Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2015; 39: 35-42.

[8] LaRocca TJ, Stivison EA, Hod EA, et al. Human-specific bacterial pore-forming toxins induce programmed necrosis in erythrocytes. mBio. 2014; 5(5): e01251-14.

[9] Notaro R, Luzzatto L. Breakthrough hemolysis in PNH with proximal or terminal complement inhibition. N Engl J Med. 2022; 387(2): 160-166.

[10] Kayagaki N, Kornfeld OS, Lee BL, et al. NINJ1 mediates plasma membrane rupture during lytic cell death. Nature. 2021; 591(7848): 131-136.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2025 The Author(s). Clinical and Translational Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Shanghai Institute of Clinical Bioinformatics.