NALP3 inflammasome activation in protein misfolding diseases.

Protein-misfolding diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes, Prion diseases, and Parkinson's disease, are characterized by inflammatory reactions. In all these diseases, IL-1β (Interlukine-1β) has been shown to be an important regulator, and the misfolded proteins are proved to be triggers of the release of IL-1β. Recently, several reports demonstrated that the inflammasome activation is involved in the progress of the misfolded protein diseases, and that the inflammasome can recognize pathogenic proteins leading to the release of IL-1β. In this review, we discuss the role of inflammasome in the pathogenesis of misfolded protein diseases and the potential of inflammasome-targeting therapeutic interventions in the management of these diseases.