IL18 and colorectal carcinoma: Notably, another study found that Inonotus obliquus polysaccharide (IOP), the primary constituent of the parasitic fungus Inonotus obliquus, activated the NLRP3 inflammasome in CRC cells, and IL-1β and IL-18 were upregulated rather than downregulated to exert the inhibitory effect of CRC [187].