NLRP3 and atherosclerosis: The NLRP3 inflammasome was first identified in the cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) and was later recognized to be involved in many other inflammatory/metabolic diseases including gout, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD), colitis, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases.