CASP1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Furthermore, silencing of never-in-mitosis gene a-related kinase 7 (NEK7), a serine/threonine kinase, in HCC cells markedly increases pyroptosis markers such as NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain-associated protein 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, and GSDMD, encouraging pyroptosis and reducing tumor-stroma interactions [41] (Fig. 3).