Damage control: Management of cellular stress by the NLRP3 inflammasome

The NLRP3 inflammasome plays a critical role in regulating inflammatory and cell death pathways in response to a diverse array of stimuli. Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome results in activation of the cysteine protease caspase‐1 and the subsequent processing and secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines IL‐1β and IL‐18. In this issue of the European Journal of Immunology, Licandro et al. Eur. J. Immunol. 2013. 43, 2126–2137] show that the NLRP3 inflammasome contributes to oxidative DNA damage. In addition, activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome modulates a number of pathways involved in DNA damage repair, cell cycle, and apoptosis, suggesting a novel role for the NLRP3 inflammasome in DNA damage responses following cellular stress.