Accordingly, Li Xinli et al. proposed that TPL2 kinase drives hepatic pro-tumorigenic inflammation and promotes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development through the upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), inflammasome (NACHT, LRR and PYD domain-containing protein 3, NALP3) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress 8. Here, NLRP3 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.