NLRP3 and lung cancer: We found that the mRNA levels of NLRP3 inflammasome components, including NLRP3, CASP1 and IL-1β, as well as the pyroptosis marker gasdermin D (GSDMD), were significantly upregulated after radiation in lung epithelial cells, and that radiation increased the protein expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, cleaved CASP1, and cleaved GSDMD in a radiation dose-dependent manner, while NLRP3 expression was not upregulated in lung cancer cells (Fig. 2A, B, Additional file 1: Fig. S1).