# The cGAS-STING pathway in cancer: friend or foe

## TL;DR

This review explores how the cGAS-STING pathway can both fight and promote cancer, highlighting its complex role in tumor immunity.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the dual role of the cGAS-STING pathway in cancer and summarizes immunotherapy strategies targeting it.

## Key findings

- The cGAS-STING pathway detects cytoplasmic DNA and activates antitumor immune responses.
- Under certain conditions, the pathway can paradoxically promote tumor progression.
- The review outlines mechanisms and strategies for targeting the cGAS-STING axis in cancer therapy.

## Abstract

The cGAS-STING pathway is crucial for recognizing aberrant DNA in the cytoplasm and activating the innate immune response. After detecting aberrant DNA in the cytoplasm, cGAS can catalyze the synthesis of cGAMP from ATP and GTP, which acts as a second messenger to engage STING and unleash type I interferons, thereby eliciting a robust antitumor immune cascade. In recent years, the role of the cGAS-STING pathway in tumor immunity has attracted widespread attention. Paradoxically, it not only activates antitumor immune responses but also promotes tumor progression under certain circumstances. This review untangles the safeguards that prevent cGAS from recognizing nuclear self-DNA, delineates the antitumor and pro-tumor mechanisms of the cGAS-STING axis, and surveys tumor immunotherapy strategies targeting this pathway.