Alternative functions for the multifarious inflammasome

Jan Martel; Hsin-Chih Lai; Yun-Fei Ko; John D Young; David M Ojcius

doi:10.1016/j.bj.2016.06.001

Alternative functions for the multifarious inflammasome

Biomed J. 2016 Jun;39(3):183-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bj.2016.06.001. Epub 2016 Aug 23.

Authors

Jan Martel¹, Hsin-Chih Lai², Yun-Fei Ko³, John D Young⁴, David M Ojcius⁵

Affiliations

¹ Center for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
² Center for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Research Center of Bacterial Pathogenesis, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Research Center for Industry of Human Ecology, College of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Health Industry and Technology, College of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
³ Biochemical Engineering Research Center, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
⁴ Center for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Biochemical Engineering Research Center, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Laboratory of Cellular Physiology and Immunology, Rockefeller University, NY, USA.
⁵ Center for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of the Pacific, Arthur Dugoni School of Dentistry, San Francisco, CA, USA. Electronic address: dojcius@pacific.edu.

Abstract

The inflammasome has been mainly studied in innate immune cells in which it senses microbes and cellular damage, and induces secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This process induces an inflammatory response that is critical for the resolution of infections and repair of tissue damage following injury. Recent studies indicate that inflammasome complex formation also participates in many other cellular and physiological processes beyond modulation of inflammation, such as autophagy, metabolism, eicosanoids production, and phagosome maturation.

Keywords: Autophagy; Inflammation; Innate immunity; NLRP3; Non-canonical inflammasome.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Autophagy / immunology*
Cytokines / metabolism*
Humans
Immunity, Innate / immunology*
Inflammasomes / immunology*
Inflammation / immunology*
Signal Transduction / immunology*

Substances

Cytokines
Inflammasomes