STING engages PKR to drive lysosomal cell death in lung ischemia-reperfusion injury.

STING engages PKR to induce lysosomal cell death in lung ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice and rats.

• Why it matters: Understanding the effectors linking STING to cell death pathways is crucial for developing targeted therapies for lung injury.
• What they did: The study used mouse and rat models of lung ischemia-reperfusion injury and human lung epithelial cells to investigate STING-PKR signaling, showing STING oligomerization drives PKR phosphorylation and NF-κB activation.
• The result: Blocking STING-PKR signaling reduces epithelial lysosomal cell death and lung injury, suggesting potential therapeutic targets for lung ischemia-reperfusion damage.