NLRP3 and rheumatoid arthritis: It was reported that the NLRP3 inflammasome is activated in the synovium of RA mice, and treatment with a selective NLRP3 inhibitor can reduce the symptoms of arthritis and cartilage destruction, indicating that targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome with small molecule chemical inhibitors may be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of RA [7–9].