Following a viral infection, the presence of viral DNA within the cytoplasm can lead to two contrasting outcomes: on one hand, it activates the cGAS-STING pathway, promoting the production of IFN-I, which helps the body combat viruses; on the other hand, this same pathway can exacerbate myocardial damage by inducing inflammation (56, 57). Here, STING1 is linked to viral infectious disease.