Inflammasome activation in response to dead cells and their metabolites

Abstract

Cell death cannot go unnoticed. It demands that the surrounding cells clear away the corpses in a manner appropriate to the type of cell death. Dying cells represent a threat to the body that should be eliminated by the host immune response. Inflammasome activation followed by IL-1alpha release and IL-1beta maturation is crucial for tackling pathological conditions, including infections, whereas inflammasome activation precedes inflammatory pyroptotic cell death. On the other hand, recent studies have shown that the inflammasome plays an important role in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and atherosclerosis. Here, we review current knowledge of the association between cell death, excess metabolites, and inflammasome activation as it relates to chronic inflammatory diseases.