Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (Apr 2021)

NLRP3 Inflammasome: A Promising Therapeutic Target for Drug-Induced Toxicity

  • Shanshan Wei,
  • Shanshan Wei,
  • Wanjun Ma,
  • Wanjun Ma,
  • Bikui Zhang,
  • Bikui Zhang,
  • Wenqun Li,
  • Wenqun Li

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2021.634607
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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Drug-induced toxicity, which impairs human organ function, is a serious problem during drug development that hinders the clinical use of many marketed drugs, and the underlying mechanisms are complicated. As a sensor of infections and external stimuli, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome plays a key role in the pathological process of various diseases. In this review, we specifically focused on the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in drug-induced diverse organ toxicities, especially the hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and cardiotoxicity. NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in the initiation and deterioration of drug-induced toxicity through multiple signaling pathways. Therapeutic strategies via inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome for drug-induced toxicity have made significant progress, especially in the protective effects of the phytochemicals. Growing evidence collected in this review indicates that NLRP3 is a promising therapeutic target for drug-induced toxicity.

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