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The inflammasomes in health and disease: from genetics to molecular mechanisms of autoinflammation and beyond

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 8, pages 135–145 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-containing protein-like receptors (NLRs) are a recently discovered class of innate immune receptors that play a crucial role in initiating the inflammatory response following pathogen recognition. Some NLRs form the framework for cytosolic platforms called inflammasomes, which orchestrate the early inflammatory process via IL-1β activation. Mutations and polymorphisms in NLR-coding genes or in genetic loci encoding inflammasome-related proteins correlate with a variety of autoinflammatory diseases. Moreover, the activity of certain inflammasomes is associated with susceptibility to infections as well as autoimmunity and tumorigenesis. In this review, we will discuss how identifying the genetic characteristics of inflammasomes is assisting our understanding of both autoinflammatory diseases as well as other immune system-driven disorders.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Lucy Robinson for critically reviewing the manuscript. This work was supported by Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) of Singapore.

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  1. Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Immunos, Singapore

    Cristina Conforti-Andreoni, Paola Ricciardi-Castagnoli & Alessandra Mortellaro

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  1. Cristina Conforti-Andreoni
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Conforti-Andreoni, C., Ricciardi-Castagnoli, P. & Mortellaro, A. The inflammasomes in health and disease: from genetics to molecular mechanisms of autoinflammation and beyond. Cell Mol Immunol 8, 135–145 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2010.81

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