Necroptosis is a form of regulated cell death that displays all the major hallmarks of necrosis [1]. A growing number of studies have implicated necroptosis in a wide range of animal models of human disease, including brain, heart and retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury, acute pancreatitis, brain trauma, retinal detachment, and Huntington’s disease [2], [3]. Importantly, several recent studies have linked necroptosis to models of inflammation including intestinal inflammation and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) [4], [5], [6]. The discovery of a regulated form of necrotic death could uncover molecular targets amenable to pharmacological intervention for the treatment of various conditions.