NLRP3 and gout: The most cited reference is the 2006 article published in Nature, “Gout-associated uric acid crystals activate the NALP3 inflammasome.[23]” This study reveals how MSU triggers the activation of the NALP3 inflammasome by caspase-1 during the pathogenesis of gout, leading to the production of active interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18.