NLRP3 and Parkinson disease: In summary, we suggest three main factors for brain region susceptibility to PD pathology, mediated by the NLRP3 inflammasome, K+, and dopamine mechanism-based interaction that we propose in our hypothesis, which overlaps in the SNpc to a greater extent than in the VTA or other brain regions: (1) high microglia density with attendant NLRP3 inflammasome expression and activity, (2) a ready dopamine supply, stored in dopaminergic neurons, and (3) poor myelination of these neurons, leaving them more vulnerable than other neuronal populations to swings in ion flux and electrical signaling.