Drusen extracts isolated from AMD donor eye tissues are able to activate the NLRP3 inflammasome, wherein complement factor 1q, as an activated signal, indirectly induces caspase-1 cleavage and increases IL-1β secretion in human monocytic THP-1 cells (Doyle et al., 2012). This evidence concerns the gene CASP1 and age-related macular degeneration.