GSDME (Gasdermin E), also known as DFNA5 or ICERE-1, is a protein found in human cells and is a member of the Gasdermin family. GSDME has membrane pore-forming activity, and its primary mechanism of action involves being activated by Caspase 3 cleavage, which induces a switch from apoptosis to pyroptosis in cells. GSDME is associated with the development of neurodegenerative diseases, and its expression in cochlear hair cells is related to the progression of sensorineural hearing loss. GSDME plays a role in regulating the inflammatory response, and its activation can lead to the release of inflammatory factors, such as IL-1β and IL-18. GSDME is also a potential target in cancer immunotherapy. It is highly expressed in normal tissues but has low expression in certain cancer tissues, which may be related to its role in tumor suppression. The expression level of GSDME can affect the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs, and its absence may reduce the effectiveness of some chemotherapy drugs.