NLRP3 and cystic fibrosis: Furthermore, on NLRP3 inflammasome activation, IL-18 secretion was upregulated in the CF-associated mutant cell lines, IB3-1 (p<0.0001) and CuFi-1 (p<0.0001) relative to the BEAS-2B control, and these levels were reduced by treatment with small molecule inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome signalling, thereby confirming the NLRP3 inflammasome as a major source of the elevated IL-18 inflammatory cytokine in these cells.