NLRP3
NLRP3 (NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3) is an intracellular innate-immune sensor and the defining component of the NLRP3 inflammasome, a multiprotein signaling complex that detects diverse cellular stresses.
NLRP3 (NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3) is an intracellular innate-immune sensor and the defining component of the NLRP3 inflammasome, a multiprotein signaling complex that detects diverse cellular stresses. It is expressed in many immune and barrier-associated cells, including macrophages, monocytes, microglia, and intestinal epithelial or stromal cell populations. Rather than recognizing one unique microbial molecule, NLRP3 responds to convergent danger signals such as ion imbalance, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, particulate substances, and tissue injury.
NLRP3 inflammasome activation generally involves an initial priming step, often mediated by NFKB1/NF-κB, followed by assembly of NLRP3 with the adaptor ASC and pro-caspase-1. Activated caspase-1 processes pro-interleukin-1 beta and pro-interleukin-18 into the mature proinflammatory cytokines Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and Interleukin 18 (IL-18). Caspase-1 also cleaves gasdermin D (GSDMD), generating membrane pores that can cause inflammatory cell death known as pyroptosis. Excessive or persistent NLRP3 signaling has therefore been investigated in inflammatory bowel disease, neuroinflammation, toxic tissue injury, sepsis, and other disorders involving inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, or altered host–microbiota interactions.
NLRP3 is consequently an important pharmacological target. Current experimental strategies include small molecules that inhibit inflammasome assembly or NLRP3 activation, compounds that reduce NLRP3 expression, and interventions directed at upstream regulators such as NEK7, NF-κB, redox pathways, or the gut immune environment. The publication contexts provided here examine NLRP3 in relation to pyroptosis, anti-inflammatory natural products, synthetic inhibitors, nanoformulations, and systems-level therapeutic mechanisms.
Where the papers sit
24 papers from the last 6 months study NLRP3 directly · updated from PubMed 3 Nov 2026
Study type 0 clinical trials · 1 observational · 18 preclinical · 5 unclassified
Themes 4 themes
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Inflammasome-Targeted Inflammation
Small-molecule inhibitors and plant-derived compounds are being used to suppress NLRP3-driven inflammation across neurological, renal, hepatic, and vascular injury. Recurring readouts include IL-1β release, CASP1 activation, microglial polarization, and tissue damage. MCC950 and covalent LRR-domain probes provide direct target-oriented approaches, while natural products act through Nrf2, TXNIP, or related pathways. Evidence remains predominantly preclinical, leaving the comparative efficacy and clinical safety of these strategies unresolved.
11 papers · 45.8%
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Oxidative Stress and Inflammation
ROS-centered NLRP3 signaling is being linked to preeclampsia, fatty liver disease, neuropsychiatric complications of diabetes, cancer-related activity, and testicular toxicity. Proposed interventions converge on NOX4/ROS, NRF2/HO-1, NF-κB, and SCFAs/FFAR3 pathways, often using nanoformulations or plant-derived compounds. The recurring goal is to reduce inflammatory injury while restoring redox balance. Findings remain model-based and heterogeneous, with no clear indication that one pathway or treatment is superior across conditions.
5 papers · 20.8%
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Aging-Related Cognitive Dysfunction
NLRP3-linked inflammation connects aging-related cognitive dysfunction with TMAO exposure and cardiac aging. Cognitive-motor training is associated with lower plasma TMAO and suppression of TXNIP/NLRP3, while exosomal miR-223-3p is being evaluated as a biomarker for mild cognitive impairment. Genetic evidence indicates that NLRP3 haploinsufficiency can unmask compensatory NLRP1-NLRP3 signaling and accelerate aging. The cluster combines therapeutic, biomarker, and mechanism studies rather than establishing a single clinical strategy.
4 papers · 16.7%
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Others — Cancer and Hair Biology
Tumor NLRP3 activity is linked to immune escape through reduced STAT1 signaling and MHC class I expression, while a non-canonical NLRP3/CCR2 axis promotes MDSC infiltration. Arglabin is being used to enhance anti-PD-1 treatment in hepatocellular carcinoma, and related work examines cell death and purinergic signaling in melanoma. The hair-follicle study instead concerns exosome-like nanoparticles and stem-cell differentiation. These papers therefore share NLRP3-related cell and immune biology but do not form one coherent disease subject.
4 papers · 16.7%
Papers
The 24 papers from the last 6 months that study NLRP3 directly, newest first, by theme and by study type. Study types come from PubMed publication types and MeSH headings.
By theme
Inflammasome-Targeted Inflammation (11)
- Comment on "Association of peripheral NLRP3 inflammasome activation with prevalent and incident chronic kidney disease in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a prospective study". Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · 16 Oct 2026 PMID 42886383
- Bellidifolin alleviates doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity: a study integrating network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation. Die Naturwissenschaften · 22 Sept 2026 PMID 42771163
- Discovery of a Covalent NLRP3 LRR-Domain Probe: Reversing Renal Fibrosis via Immunometabolic Reprogramming in Organoid and Murine Models. Journal of medicinal chemistry · 10 Sept 2026 PMID 42720495
- Artificial Intelligence-Driven Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals Hydroxytyrosol Targeting of the TXNIP-NLRP3 Inflammasome Axis in Traumatic Brain Injury. European journal of pharmaceutical sciences : official journal of the European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences · 5 Sept 2026 PMID 42700807
- Targeting of NLRP3 Gln624/Ser658 by Carabrone attenuates inflammatory diseases. European journal of pharmacology · 4 Sept 2026 PMID 42697424
- Gastrodia elata Blume and Acorus tatarinowii Schott mixtures alleviate pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures in mice: association with NLRP3 inflammasome signaling changes. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology · 1 Sept 2026 PMID 42679235
- Anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective effects of sweroside and swertiamarin from Swertia bimaculata in an in vitro microglial activation model. Biochemical and biophysical research communications · 31 Aug 2026 PMID 42673911
- Therapeutic Potential of NLRP3 Inhibitor MCC950 in Aging Mice Stroke Outcomes. Translational stroke research · 22 Aug 2026 PMID 42631814
- APOM-associated inflammation and apoptosis in stroke-exacerbated myocardial infarction: implications for brain-heart interactions. Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death · 20 Aug 2026 PMID 42622732
- Integrating multi-omics and network pharmacology in a systems approach: a mechanism study of ginseng-derived panaxadiol saponins against immune-mediated aplastic anemia. Journal of ethnopharmacology · 24 Jul 2026 PMID 42497599
- Daphnetin alleviates neuropathic pain in rats by modulating spinal microglial polarization via the Nrf2/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. International immunopharmacology · 17 Jun 2026 PMID 42308799
Oxidative Stress and Inflammation (5)
- Ursolic acid ameliorates metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease by regulating the NOX4/ROS/NLRP3 pathway. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 5 Oct 2026 PMID 42834206
- Faecalibacterium prausnitzii attenuates diabetes-associated affective disorders by suppressing neuroinflammation through the SCFAs/FFAR3/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway. International immunopharmacology · 19 Aug 2026 PMID 42617470
- Nano-Rosmarinic Acid Protects Against Chlorfenapyr-Induced Testicular Toxicity Through Modulation of NRF2/HO-1 and NF-κB/NLRP3 Signaling Pathways. Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology · 21 Jul 2026 PMID 42478942
- AC3® exerts cytotoxic and anti-migratory activity and modulates the gene expression of TNF-α, inflammatory mediators, and components of the CD39/CD73/adenosine axis in cutaneous melanoma cell lines. Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 15 Jul 2026 PMID 42455469
- Advanced nanoformulations of NUAK1 regulate NLRP3 inflammasome for preeclampsia management in mice. Nature communications · 18 May 2026 PMID 42151142
Aging-Related Cognitive Dysfunction (4)
- Cognitive-Motor Dual Task Training Synergistically Improves Aging-related Cognitive Dysfunction By Reducing TMAO and Suppressing TXNIP/NLRP3 Pathway. Molecular neurobiology · 28 Sept 2026 PMID 42804118
- Exosomal miR-223-3p, associated with NLRP3-related neuroinflammation, as a potential biomarker for mild cognitive impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 17 Sept 2026 PMID 42754564
- NLRP3 haploinsufficiency unmasks a compensatory NLRP1-NLRP3 interaction that drives accelerated aging in mice. Science advances · 26 Jun 2026 PMID 42361162
- Trimethylamine N-oxide drives cardiac aging by activating NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis. Life sciences · 9 Jun 2026 PMID 42264141
Others — Cancer and Hair Biology (4)
- Calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, induces cell death and purinergic signaling modulation in cutaneous melanoma cells. Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 15 Sept 2026 PMID 42742798
- Arglabin targets a non-canonical NLRP3/CCR2 axis to suppress MDSC infiltration and potentiates anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology · 2 Sept 2026 PMID 42685565
- Leek-Derived Exosome-like Nanoparticles Inhibit Hair Growth by Controlling the Differentiation Fate of Hair Follicle Stem Cells. ACS applied bio materials · 30 Aug 2026 PMID 42669171
- Tumor NLRP3 amplification promotes immunotherapy resistance by inhibiting STAT1 signaling and MHC class I expression. The Journal of clinical investigation · 13 Aug 2026 PMID 42593864
By study type
Observational studies and case reports (1)
- Comment on "Association of peripheral NLRP3 inflammasome activation with prevalent and incident chronic kidney disease in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a prospective study". Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · 16 Oct 2026 PMID 42886383
Preclinical: animal, cell and lab studies (18)
- Cognitive-Motor Dual Task Training Synergistically Improves Aging-related Cognitive Dysfunction By Reducing TMAO and Suppressing TXNIP/NLRP3 Pathway. Molecular neurobiology · 28 Sept 2026 PMID 42804118
- Bellidifolin alleviates doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity: a study integrating network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation. Die Naturwissenschaften · 22 Sept 2026 PMID 42771163
- Exosomal miR-223-3p, associated with NLRP3-related neuroinflammation, as a potential biomarker for mild cognitive impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 17 Sept 2026 PMID 42754564
- Calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, induces cell death and purinergic signaling modulation in cutaneous melanoma cells. Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 15 Sept 2026 PMID 42742798
- Discovery of a Covalent NLRP3 LRR-Domain Probe: Reversing Renal Fibrosis via Immunometabolic Reprogramming in Organoid and Murine Models. Journal of medicinal chemistry · 10 Sept 2026 PMID 42720495
- Targeting of NLRP3 Gln624/Ser658 by Carabrone attenuates inflammatory diseases. European journal of pharmacology · 4 Sept 2026 PMID 42697424
- Arglabin targets a non-canonical NLRP3/CCR2 axis to suppress MDSC infiltration and potentiates anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology · 2 Sept 2026 PMID 42685565
- Gastrodia elata Blume and Acorus tatarinowii Schott mixtures alleviate pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures in mice: association with NLRP3 inflammasome signaling changes. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology · 1 Sept 2026 PMID 42679235
- Anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective effects of sweroside and swertiamarin from Swertia bimaculata in an in vitro microglial activation model. Biochemical and biophysical research communications · 31 Aug 2026 PMID 42673911
- Leek-Derived Exosome-like Nanoparticles Inhibit Hair Growth by Controlling the Differentiation Fate of Hair Follicle Stem Cells. ACS applied bio materials · 30 Aug 2026 PMID 42669171
- Therapeutic Potential of NLRP3 Inhibitor MCC950 in Aging Mice Stroke Outcomes. Translational stroke research · 22 Aug 2026 PMID 42631814
- APOM-associated inflammation and apoptosis in stroke-exacerbated myocardial infarction: implications for brain-heart interactions. Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death · 20 Aug 2026 PMID 42622732
- Tumor NLRP3 amplification promotes immunotherapy resistance by inhibiting STAT1 signaling and MHC class I expression. The Journal of clinical investigation · 13 Aug 2026 PMID 42593864
- Nano-Rosmarinic Acid Protects Against Chlorfenapyr-Induced Testicular Toxicity Through Modulation of NRF2/HO-1 and NF-κB/NLRP3 Signaling Pathways. Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology · 21 Jul 2026 PMID 42478942
- AC3® exerts cytotoxic and anti-migratory activity and modulates the gene expression of TNF-α, inflammatory mediators, and components of the CD39/CD73/adenosine axis in cutaneous melanoma cell lines. Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 15 Jul 2026 PMID 42455469
- NLRP3 haploinsufficiency unmasks a compensatory NLRP1-NLRP3 interaction that drives accelerated aging in mice. Science advances · 26 Jun 2026 PMID 42361162
- Daphnetin alleviates neuropathic pain in rats by modulating spinal microglial polarization via the Nrf2/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. International immunopharmacology · 17 Jun 2026 PMID 42308799
- Trimethylamine N-oxide drives cardiac aging by activating NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis. Life sciences · 9 Jun 2026 PMID 42264141
Unclassified: not yet indexed with MeSH (5)
- Ursolic acid ameliorates metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease by regulating the NOX4/ROS/NLRP3 pathway. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 5 Oct 2026 PMID 42834206
- Artificial Intelligence-Driven Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals Hydroxytyrosol Targeting of the TXNIP-NLRP3 Inflammasome Axis in Traumatic Brain Injury. European journal of pharmaceutical sciences : official journal of the European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences · 5 Sept 2026 PMID 42700807
- Faecalibacterium prausnitzii attenuates diabetes-associated affective disorders by suppressing neuroinflammation through the SCFAs/FFAR3/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway. International immunopharmacology · 19 Aug 2026 PMID 42617470
- Integrating multi-omics and network pharmacology in a systems approach: a mechanism study of ginseng-derived panaxadiol saponins against immune-mediated aplastic anemia. Journal of ethnopharmacology · 24 Jul 2026 PMID 42497599
- Advanced nanoformulations of NUAK1 regulate NLRP3 inflammasome for preeclampsia management in mice. Nature communications · 18 May 2026 PMID 42151142
Written from 24 PubMed abstracts, each one listed by PMID above. Published: 2026-08-20. Last written: 2026-09-24 by GPT. Drafted by language models from published abstracts; not medical advice.