Inhibitors of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway as promising therapeutic candidates for inflammatory diseases (Review)

The inflammasome regulates innate immunity by serving as a signaling platform. The Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, equipped with NLRP3, the adaptor protein apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) and pro-caspase-1, is by far the most extensively studied and well-characterized inflammasome. A variety of stimuli can activate the NLRP3 inflammasome. When activated, the NLRP3 protein recruits the adaptor ASC protein and activates pro-caspase-1, resulting in inflammatory cytokine maturation and secretion, which is associated with inflammation and pyroptosis. However, the aberrant activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome has been linked to various inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis, ischemic stroke, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes mellitus and inflammatory bowel disease. Therefore, the NLRP3 inflammasome has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases. In the present review, systematic searches were performed using 'NLRP3 inhibitor(s)' and 'inflammatory disease(s)' as key words. By browsing the literature from 2012 to 2022, 100 articles were retrieved, of which 35 were excluded as they were reviews, editorials, retracted or unavailable online, and 65 articles were included. According to the retrieved literature, the current understanding of NLRP3 inflammasome pathway activation in inflammatory diseases was summarize, and inhibitors of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway targeting the NLRP3 protein and other inflammasome components or products were highlighted. Additionally, the present review briefly discusses the current novel efforts in clinical research.