NLRP3 and systemic sclerosis: Our data explore the mechanisms that precede the development of overt cardiac fibrosis, highlighting a crucial role for oxidative stress-mediated activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and its downstream signaling cascade, particularly the induction of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), as a key driver of early tissue remodeling in the SSc heart.