NLRP3 early and often

Inflammasome inhibitors could offer a step change for a slew of inflammatory diseases and pharma is taking notice. Two acquisitions in six months show the first inflammasome target -- NLRP3 -- is gaining momentum, but the question is how fast drug developers can discern the best set of indications from the sea of possibilities.

As the myriad contributions of innate immunity to disease become increasingly apparent, the attraction of the inflammasome, and in particular NLPR3, its most well-characterized component, is its therapeutic versatility. ...