NLRP3−/− mice were shown to be more susceptible to cancer and the number of colon polyps in the AOM-DSS mouse model and the accelerated tumor growth in the carcinogenesis model was accompanied with drastically low levels of colonic IL-18, suggesting that NLRP3 may play a protective role against neoplasia formation and IL-18 might be closely associated with colon cancer initiation [102, 103]. The gene discussed is IL18; the disease is colonic neoplasm.