IRF3 and viral infectious disease: The STING pathway plays a crucial role in immune defense against bacterial/viral infections and tumors by inducing the production of type I IFNs and other cytokines/chemokines, such as TNFα and CXCL9/10.[45] In our study, we revealed that bacterial DNA released from heat‐treated bacteria could activate the STING‐IRF3 axis in macrophages in vitro and in vivo, leading to the production of type I IFN‐associated factors and enhanced phagocytosis of macrophages (Figures 7 and 8).