Question

Define an inflammasome. How is it activated and in which cells of the body can it be activated in, when it is activated, what is the cellular response and how does that response contribute to inflammation.

Answer 1

Inflammasome are cytosolic multiprotein oligomers of the innate immune system responsible in the activation of inflammatory reponses in the body.

The inflammasomes are innate immune system sensors/receptors that regulate the activation of caspace 1 and decrease inflammation in response to infectious micro-orgamisms and molecues derived from host proteins. It has been implicated in a host of inflammatory disorders.

Inflammasome complexes are activated by a subset of cytosolic PRRs that recognize a variety of microbe-derived PAMPs and DAMPs generated by the cell itself

Inflammasome formation is triggered by a range of substance that emerge during infections tissue damage or metabolic imbalances. Once the protein complexes have formed, the inflammasomes activate caspace 1, which proteolytically activates the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1beta(IL-1beta)³ and IL-18.

Althought the inflammasome function has been mainly studied in cells of the innate immune system such as in mac, cells outside the myeloid compartment were also shown to activate inflammasomes. One of the example is epithelial cells (in mouth)

Inflammasomes are protein complexes that form in response to host derived or pathogen derived stress signals. Their activation leads to the production of inflammatory cytokines and promotes a pyrogenic cell death process.