AUTHOR=Wei Shanshan , Ma Wanjun , Zhang Bikui , Li Wenqun 

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

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2021.634607

DOI=10.3389/fcell.2021.634607

ISSN=2296-634X

ABSTRACT=Drug-induced toxicity is a serious problem during drug development and the clinical use of many marketed drugs, which impairs human organ functions, and the underlying mechanism is complicated. As a sensor of infections and external stimuli, 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 the protective effects of the phytochemicals. Growing evidences collected in this review indicate that NLRP3 is a promising therapeutic target for drug-induced toxicity.