NLRP3 and cancer: During the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) act on NLRP3, although ASC and cleaved caspase-1 do not seem to be involved despite being upregulated in CRC epithelial cell-lines, HCT116 and HT29, leading to cancer progression.