NLRP3 and infection: The NLRP3 inflammasome, which is a multimeric protein complex consisting of a cytoplasmic innate receptor (NLRP3), an apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD domain (ASC), and a cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase (caspase-1) (Kim and Jo, 2013), is responsible for activating inflammatory responses upon infection and cellular damage.