Molecular Research on Inflammasome Signaling
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Since Jürg Tschopp’s landmark 2002 discovery of inflammasomes as multiprotein danger-sensing platforms, ASC and NLRP3 characterization have established caspase-1 activation, IL-1β/IL-18 maturation, and gasdermin D-mediated pyroptosis as central inflammatory mechanisms across autoinflammatory, metabolic, neurodegenerative, and acute inflammatory diseases. Two decades of intensive NLRP3-focused research have led to the establishment of atomic-resolution structures and clinical-stage inhibitors, yet the substantial molecular complexity of inflammasome diversity and regulation remains unexplored.
This Special Issue focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying inflammasome assembly, activation, and signaling beyond canonical NLRP3 pathways. We welcome submissions addressing the following: structural and functional characterization of under-studied inflammasomes (NLRP6, NLRP12, CARD8, MxA); molecular determinants of cell-type-specific activation thresholds and protein expression patterns; protein–protein interactions in PANoptosome assembly that integrate pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis pathways; structural biology of pathogen protein–inflammasome sensor interactions, including viral modulators and variant-specific binding interfaces; gasdermin activation mechanisms beyond canonical caspase-1 cleavage; epigenome and post-translational modifications regulating inflammasome component activity; and molecular crosstalk between inflammasomes and metabolic, circadian, or DNA-damage-sensing pathways. Of particular interest are studies employing structural biology, biochemical reconstitution, advanced imaging, or computational modeling to elucidate activation mechanisms, oligomerization dynamics, and downstream signaling cascades.
Dr. Soren Hayrabedyan
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- PANoptosis
- NLRP6
- NLRP12
- CARD8
- non-immune cells
- viral proteins
- gasdermin family
- inflammasome-independent signaling
- inflammaging
- MxA inflammasome
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