When these cells were pre-treated with small molecule inhibitors of the NLRP3 inflammasome signalling pathway (MCC950; NLRP3, OxPAPC;TLR4, YVAD;caspases), IL-18 secretion was reduced (Figure 1B) in the CF-associated mutant HBEC lines thereby confirming NLRP3 inflammasome as the source of the elevated IL-18 inflammatory cytokine. This evidence concerns the gene NLRP3 and cystic fibrosis.