Fig. 1

Scheme of the molecular mechanism of the NLRP3 inflammasome-pyroptosis pathway. The canonical NLRP3 inflammasome activation involves two consequential steps, the priming step, where triggers signal to NF-κB via TLR4 promoting the expression of NLRP3, ASC, pro-IL-1β and pro-IL-18, and the activation step, where a second trigger fosters its fully activation determining Caspase-1 cleavage, maturation of IL-1β (mIL-1β), IL-18 (mIL-18) and GSDMD (N-GSDMD). N-GSDMD auto-assemble into plasma membrane eventually leading to pyroptosis and cytokine release