Recent work links the NLRP3 inflammasome to several neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and ALS caused by SOD1 mutations27-30 Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 rescues cognitive impairments in different rodent models of Alzheimer’s disease,26,31 suggesting that the inflammasome can directly contribute to disease pathogenesis in dementia. The gene discussed is SOD1; the disease is early-onset autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease.