The emerging roles of the <scp>STING</scp> adaptor protein in immunity and diseases

<jats:title>Summary</jats:title><jats:p><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">DNA</jats:styled-content> that gains access to the cytoplasm generally serves as a danger signal for the hosts. An emerging paradigm for responding to cytosolic <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">DNA</jats:styled-content>s centres on the endoplasmic reticulum‐resident protein stimulator of interferon genes (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">STING</jats:styled-content>, also known as <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">MITA</jats:styled-content>,<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case"> ERIS</jats:styled-content> or <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">MPYS</jats:styled-content>), the hub adaptor of the recently identified <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">DNA</jats:styled-content> sensors. Dynamic regulations of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">STING</jats:styled-content> action are critical for shaping innate immune responses against microbial infections, as well as for preventing autoimmune diseases. <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">STING</jats:styled-content> is also indispensable for the detection of immunogenic tumours. A deeper understanding of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">STING</jats:styled-content> modulations could be instrumental for developing novel immunotherapeutic strategies against infectious, autoimmune and cancerous diseases. In this review, we summarize the latest advances on the role of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">STING</jats:styled-content> in the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">DNA</jats:styled-content>‐triggered immune reactions, and underscore the critical issues that remain to be resolved in future studies.</jats:p>