Role of Inflammasomes in Neuroimmune and Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes that can sense pathogen-associated molecular patterns and damage-associated molecular signals. They are involved in the initiation and development of inflammation via activation of IL-1β and IL-18. Many recent studies suggest a strong correlation between inflammasomes and neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Several components of inflammasomes, such as nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain- (NOD-) like receptor, absent in melanoma 2- (AIM2-) like receptors (ALRs), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), and caspase-1, as well as the upstream factors and downstream effectors, are associated with the initiation and development of MS and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Additionally, inflammasomes affect the efficacy of interferon-β therapy in patients with MS. Finally, the strong association of inflammasomes with AD and PD needs to be further studied. In this review of latest literatures, we comprehensively tease out diverse roles of different kinds of inflammasomes in neuroimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, especially in the perspective of double roles involved in pathogenesis, and identify future research priorities.