CASP1 and Alzheimer disease: Heneka et al. found that, compared with APP/PS1 mice, NLRP3 and caspase-1 knockout AD model mice have a significantly enhanced ability of microglia to phagocytose Aβ and differentiate microglia into anti-inflammatory M2 type, which facilitates Aβ clearance (Heneka et al., 2013).