Fig. 1
From: The NLRP3 inflammasome in traumatic brain injury: potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target
Formation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome involves the constituent molecules of the NLRP3 inflammasome (i.e. NLRP3, ASC and caspase-1) binding to form a complete NLRP3 inflammasome complex. This inflammasome complex allows the cleavage of pro-caspase-1 into its active isomer, caspase-1, which in turn cleaves pro-IL-1β and pro-IL-18 to their active isomers IL-1β and IL-18 respectively. The increase in these pro-inflammatory proteins ultimately leads to pyroptosis