Inflammasomes and Cell Death: Common Pathways in Microparticle Diseases

The accumulation of cellular and environmental microparticles has been linked to many diseases associated with tissue inflammation. These particulate-driven diseases include joint, lung, kidney, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative disorders. Recently a conserved proinflammatory inflammasome signaling pathway elicited by such microparticles has become apparent. Here, we review disease promoting microparticles and the mechanisms by which they trigger activation of the inflammasome complexes responsible for generating bioactive interleukin1 beta (IL-1 beta) and inducing cell death. We highlight how microparticle-induced inflammasome and cell death responses diverge from canonical inflammasome activators, and discuss the preclinical and clinical targeting of inflammasomes to treat microparticle-driven diseases.