TNF and infection: Furthermore, caspase-8 mediates suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) through its inhibitory effects on both the NLRP3 inflammasome and IFN-I signaling pathways [30,31], collectively demonstrating that these pathways maintain a critical balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory responses, which dictates the severity of the acute infection.