An important element of our immune response is comprised of inflammasome activity. Inflammasome activation results in the assembly of a multi-protein complex initiated by sensors of pathogen-associated or cellular damage-associated molecules with the Apoptosis-associated Speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC or PYCARD) and pro-Caspase-1. This assembly activates the caspase zymogen, which then cleaves the inactive pro-forms of the inflammatory Interleukin (IL)−1β and −18 cytokines and the pyroptotic Gasdermin D1,2. This induces potent and potentially damaging responses and so there is value in determining the processes that control these steps to identify interventions to mitigate pathogenesis caused by excessive inflammasome activity3,4.
