NLRP3 and Chronic colitis: More importantly, along with the improvement of the inflammatory symptoms, DSS-induced upregulation of the protein levels of NEK7, NLRP3, caspase-1 (p20), and GSDMD-N were significantly decreased by NEK7 knockdown, indicating that NEK7 knockdown might affect DSS-induced chronic colitis in mice via modulating pyroptosis, possibly in an NLRP3-dependent manner.