Humans pIKK-up NLRP3 to skip NEK7.

NLRP3 inflammasome regulation is essential for controlling cell death and inflammation. Mechanistic studies in murine cells suggest a two-step model of priming and activation with an indispensable role for NEK7. However, in a recent article in Immunity, Schmacke et al. report that, in humans, transcription-independent NLRP3 activation occurs by circumventing NEK7 via IKKß.