The uniqueness of work here is the demonstration that the pathogenic fibers, asbestos and erionite, but not innocuous particles, such as glass beads, cause both priming and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in human mesothelial cells, responses that trigger transcription and production of cytokines critical to the initiation of pleural injury and infection, MM and pleural fibrosis. Here, NLRP3 is linked to Miyoshi myopathy.