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Review
. 2014 Oct 16;6(12):a016287.
doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a016287.

Inflammasomes

Marcel R de Zoete  1 , Noah W Palm  1 , Shu Zhu  1 , Richard A Flavell  2
Affiliations
Review

Inflammasomes

Marcel R de Zoete et al. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. .

Abstract

Inflammasomes are large cytosolic multiprotein complexes that assemble in response to detection of infection- or stress-associated stimuli and lead to the activation of caspase-1-mediated inflammatory responses, including cleavage and unconventional secretion of the leaderless proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18, and initiation of an inflammatory form of cell death referred to as pyroptosis. Inflammasome activation can be induced by a wide variety of microbial pathogens and generally mediates host defense through activation of rapid inflammatory responses and restriction of pathogen replication. In addition to its role in defense against pathogens, recent studies have suggested that the inflammasome is also a critical regulator of the commensal microbiota in the intestine. Finally, inflammasomes have been widely implicated in the development and progression of various chronic diseases, such as gout, atherosclerosis, and metabolic syndrome. In this perspective, we discuss the role of inflammasomes in infectious and noninfectious inflammation and highlight areas of interest for future studies of inflammasomes in host defense and chronic disease.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Inflammasome assembly can be triggered by sensing of a variety of stimuli that are associated with infection or cellular stress and culminates in the activation of caspase-1. DC, dendritic cell.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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