Table 2.
Role of AIM2 in cancers
| Cancers | AIM2 expression | Role of AIM2 | Mechanism of AIM2 role | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melanoma | ↓ | Tumor‐suppressive | – | 1, 116 |
| Proliferation↓ Metastasis↓ | ||||
| NSCLC | ↑ | Tumor‐promoting | Regulation of inflammasome pathways (the IL‐1β/STAT3 pathway) | 12, 91, 117, 118, 119 |
| Proliferation↑ | ||||
| EMT↑ | Regulation of mitochondrial dynamics | |||
| Metastasis↑ | Induction of high levels of IL‐1α secretion from pDCs | |||
| Colon cancer | ↓ | Tumor‐suppressive | Regulation in an inflammasome‐independent manner (suppression of DNA‐PK‐mediated AKT activation and suppression of the PI3K/AKT pathway) | 13, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126 |
| Proliferation↓ Apoptosis↑ | ||||
| EMT↓ | ||||
| Intestinal stem cell proliferation | ||||
| Effects on the gut microbiota | Regulation of inflammasome pathways | |||
| Hepatocellular carcinoma | ↓ | Tumor‐suppressive | Regulation of inflammasome pathways (suppression of the mTOR‐S6K1 pathway and regulation of the HBx/AIM2/FN1 signaling axis) | 127, 128 |
| Proliferation↓ Metastasis↓ | ||||
| EMT↓ Liver inflammation | ||||
| Proliferative responses | ||||
| Renal carcinoma | ↓ | Tumor‐suppressive | Regulation of inflammasome pathways (induction of autophagy‐related gene expression) | 15, 129 |
| Proliferation↓ Apoptosis↑ | ||||
| Autophagy↑ Metastasis↓ | ||||
| Breast cancer | ↓ | Tumor‐suppressive | Antagonization of NF‐κB transcriptional activity (suppression of antiapoptotic protein expression) | 16, 77, 130, 131, 132 |
| Proliferation↓ Apoptosis↑ | ||||
| Metastasis↓ | Regulation of TRAIL‐expressing hMSCs through secretion of IFN‐β | |||
| EMT↓ | Immunosuppression of macrophages | |||
| Prostate cancer | ↓ | Tumor‐suppressive | Induction of loss of IFN signaling | 133, 134 |
| HPV‐infected cervical carcinoma | ↓ | Tumor‐suppression | Regulation of inflammasome pathways | 17, 135 |
| Pyroptosis↑ | (SIRT1–AIM2 axis) | |||
| SSC | ↑ | Tumor‐promoting | Regulation of inflammasome pathways | 19, 20 |
| Proliferation↑ Apoptosis↓ | ||||
| EMT↑ | Activation of NF‐κB signaling (induction of cell cycle regulatory genes expression) | |||
| Metastasis↑ | ||||
| EBV‐associated NPC | ↑ | Tumor‐promoting | Regulation of inflammasome pathways | 21 |
| Proliferation↑ | ||||
| Neutrophil recruitment |
Abbreviations: ↑, significantly higher; ↓, significantly lower; AIM2, absent in melanoma 2; EBV, Epstein–Barr virus; EMT, epithelial–mesenchymal transition; hMSCs, human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells; HPV, human papillomavirus; IFN, interferon; NF‐κB, nuclear factor κB; NPC, nasopharyngeal carcinoma; NSCLC, non‐small‐cell lung cancer; SCC, squamous cell carcinoma; TRAIL, TNF‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand.