A Nature Communications study identified the inflammasome adaptor protein ASC as a central regulator linking innate immune signaling to mitochondrial metabolism in pancreatic cancer. Authors Chey, Kashgari and McLeod mapped how ASC alters metabolic pathways that fuel tumor growth. The finding exposes a targetable intersection between immune sensing and cancer bioenergetics and suggests ASC modulation could shift tumor metabolism. Researchers and drug developers may explore ASC‑directed strategies to disrupt pancreatic tumor metabolic dependencies.