Inflammasome activation leads to efficient defense against pathogens, while missense mutations in the NLRP3 protein-encoding gene (Cias1) cause autoinflammatory disorders cryopyrinopathies (i.e. cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes, CAPS), where IL-1β is constitutively processed [15–17]. This evidence concerns the gene NLRP3 and cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome.