NLRP6 and periodontitis: NLRP6 has a role in oral immunity since it is highly expressed in the human gingival tissue and is specifically activated in infected gingival fibroblasts with Porphyromonas gingivalis, a pathogen associated with chronic periodontitis, thus inducing pyroptosis and IL-1β and IL-18 release through NLRP6 inflammasome activation75 (Fig. 2c).