What is NLRP3?

NLRP3 (NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing protein 3) is a cytosolic immune sensor that detects signs of infection or cellular stress. Upon activation, it forms a multi-protein complex, called the NLRP3 inflammasome, which processes the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 and can trigger pyroptotic cell death. It plays a vital role in coordinating innate immune responses, but when dysregulated, contributes to chronic inflammatory and degenerative diseases.

Activation involves two steps: first, a priming signal increases NLRP3 expression. Then a second signal, such as mitochondrial or lysosomal damage, triggers inflammasome assembly. This assembly leads to caspase-1 activation and the processing of inflammatory cytokines.  

Yes. NLRP3’s involvement in inflammatory, metabolic, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative diseases makes it a high-priority target for drug development. Multiple small molecules and biologics are being developed to inhibit different stages of its activation.

NLRP3 plays a role in a broad spectrum of diseases and conditions:

• Neurodegenerative: AD, PD, ALS, MS
• Metabolic: Type 2 diabetes, obesity, gout
• Autoimmune/Inflammatory: Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease
• Cardiovascular: Atherosclerosis
• Infectious diseases: COVID-19, sepsis, influenza
• Genetic autoinflammatory syndromes: Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes

In many cases, NLRP3 works in concert with other inflammasomes, like AIM2 and NLRP1, highlighting the complexity of the innate immune response.  

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Alpha-Synuclein: a presynaptic neuronal protein that is genetically and neuropathologically associated with Parkinson's disease (PD).  

Alzheimer's Disease: a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline, memory loss, and behavioral changes. It is associated with the accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques and tau tangles in the brain, and loss of neurons and synapses in the cerebral cortex and subcortical regions.  

Amyloid-Beta (Aβ): a peptide derived from the amyloid precursor protein (APP) that can aggregate to form plaques.  

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, it is the most common form of motor neuron disease and affects the upper and lower motor neurons. This fatal neuromuscular disease is characterized by progressive weakness of the muscles required to move, speak, eat, and breathe. 

DAMPs: Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns are endogenous signals released from injured, stressed, or dying cells, such as extracellular ATP or uric acid crystals, that alert the immune system to tissue damage. These signals can activate the inflammasome, promoting inflammatory responses. 

Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD): a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by progressive damage to the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain. This damage leads to a variety of symptoms that can include changes in personality, behavior, and language abilities. FTD is distinct from other types of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, in that it often affects younger individuals (typically between the ages of 45 and 65) and presents with early and prominent changes in social behavior, executive function, and language, rather than memory loss. The three main subtypes of FTD are Behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD), Non-fluent variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA) and Semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA). 

Multiple Sclerosis (MS): the most commonly demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS); MS is an immune-mediated disease, involving T cell, B cells, microglia, and macrophages, and characterized by inflammation, demyelination, axonal injury, and neurodegeneration. 

Neurodegeneration: a complex, multifactorial process resulting in the loss of neurons.  

Neuroinflammation: an inflammatory response within the central nervous system (CNS), primarily involving the activation of microglia and astrocytes. This process can be triggered by various factors, including infections, traumatic brain injury, toxic metabolites, and autoimmune diseases.    

NLRP3 Inflammasome: a cytosolic multi-protein complex found primarily in neuroinflammatory cells like microglia and astrocytes, and peripheral immune cells. The NLRP3 inflammasome plays a key role in the immune response by activating caspase-1 in response to various stress signals or infections, leading to the release of proinflammatory cytokines like IL-1β and IL-18, as well as the pore-forming molecule GSDMD. This inflammatory process can contribute to chronic inflammation and neurodegeneration, making NLRP3 a potential target for therapeutic intervention in neurodegenerative diseases.

PAMPs: Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns are components of microbes, such as LPS or viral RNA, that are detected by pattern recognition receptors. Their recognition can lead to activation of the inflammasome, a multiprotein complex that drives inflammation.

Parkinson's Disease (PD): a neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by: (a) movement-related (motor) symptoms, including resting tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity, and postural instability, related to the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra; and (b) non-motor symptoms including anxiety, depression, apathy, hallucinations, constipation, orthostatic hypotension, sleep disorders, hyposmia/anosmia, and cognitive impairment.  

Superoxide Dismutase 1 (SOD1): an enzyme that is encoded by the SOD1 gene located on chromosome 21 and is associated with apoptosis and familial ALS.  

Tau: a protein that plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability and function of neurons in the brain. It is predominantly found in neurons, where it stabilizes microtubules, which are part of the cell's cytoskeleton. Microtubules are essential for maintaining cell shape, enabling intracellular transport, and facilitating cellular division. Hyperphosphorylation of tau is evident in various neurodegenerative diseases, where the abnormally phosphorylated molecules lead to the detachment of tau from the microtubules. These detached tau proteins can aggregate to form insoluble fibrils, known as neurofibrillary tangles. Diseases impacted by tau aggregation are called tauopathies, and include Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and corticobasal degeneration.  

Transactive Response DNA Binding Protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43): a highly conserved nuclear RNA/DNA-binding protein encoded by the TARDBP gene involved in the regulation of RNA processing.