炎症小体在衰老及其相关疾病中的作用机制
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1.北京生命科技研究院,国家烟草质量监督检验中心;2.安徽大学;3.中国科学院合肥物质科学研究院;4.北京生命科技研究院;5.中国科学技术大学;6.国家烟草质量监督检验中心

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R392;R364.5

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北京生命科技研究院项目 2025100CC0030 2025100CB0100 2024501QPIC05 2024102QPID06北京生命科技研究院项目(2025100CC0030,2025100CB0100,2024501QPIC05,2024102QPID06)资助。


Roles and Mechanisms of Inflammasomes in Aging and Age-related Diseases
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1.Beijing Life Science Academy, Beijing 102200, China;2.China National Tobacco Quality Supervision &3.amp;4.Test Center, Key Laboratory of Tobacco Biological Effects, Zhengzhou 450001, China;5.Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China;6.Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031;7.Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China;8.Beijing Life Science Academy, Beijing 102200, ChinaChina National Tobacco Quality Supervision &

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the Science and Technology Project of Beijing Life Science Academy 2025100CC0030 2025100CB0100 2024501QPIC05 2024102QPID06This work was supported by grants from the Science and Technology Project of Beijing Life Science Academy (2025100CC0030,2025100CB0100,2024501QPIC05,2024102QPID06).

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    摘要:

    伴随衰老进程出现的系统性慢性炎症状态,与多种衰老相关疾病的发生与发展密切相关。炎症小体是固有免疫系统感知细胞损伤并放大炎症反应的重要多蛋白质复合物,其持续或反复活化可促进炎性衰老,并加剧组织损伤及功能衰退。本文以核苷酸结合结构域富含亮氨酸重复序列和含热蛋白结构域受体3(NLRP3)炎症小体为重点,综述衰老微环境中炎症小体的活化机制、调控通路及病理意义,并比较其在神经退行性疾病、骨关节炎、动脉粥样硬化和2型糖尿病中的共同激活环节、组织特异性效应及其临床关联。尽管不同疾病的诱发因素各不相同,但炎症小体活化在一定程度上共享了许多关键分子事件,包括核因子κB(NF-κB)介导的预激活、溶酶体损伤、线粒体功能障碍、活性氧类累积、线粒体DNA(mtDNA)释放以及钾离子外流等,共同驱动NLRP3炎症小体组装、胱天蛋白酶1(caspase-1)活化及消皮素D(Gasdermin D)依赖的细胞焦亡。本文进一步讨论了靶向炎症小体的治疗策略在改善衰老及相关疾病中的应用潜力及未来开发方向。炎症小体是连接衰老相关损伤与慢性炎症放大的重要节点,有望成为多种衰老相关疾病早期协同干预的共同靶点,但其临床转化仍受疾病阶段、组织特异性、长期安全性和生物标志物不足等因素限制。

    Abstract:

    Systemic chronic inflammation associated with advancing age is closely linked to the onset and progression of multiple age-related diseases. This persistent inflammatory state, commonly termed inflammaging, reflects complex interactions between accumulated cellular damage and dysregulated immune responses. Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes of the innate immune system that respond to cellular stress and damage and amplify inflammatory signaling. Their sustained or recurrent activation may contribute to the establishment and maintenance of inflammaging. This review focuses on the NLRP3 inflammasome and summarizes its activation mechanisms, regulatory pathways, and pathological significance within the aging microenvironment. Particular attention is given to neurodegenerative diseases, osteoarthritis, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes, emphasizing shared activation mechanisms and tissue-specific effects. Although initiating stimuli differ among these conditions, several molecular events can contribute to NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Priming mediated by nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) promotes the expression of NLRP3 and pro-interleukin-1β, whereas lysosomal damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, reactive oxygen species accumulation, mitochondrial DNA release, and potassium efflux can participate in activation pathways. These events are interconnected rather than obligatory sequential steps in every setting. Inflammasome assembly promotes caspase-1 activation, which facilitates interleukin-1β and interleukin-18 maturation and gasdermin D cleavage, potentially leading to pyroptosis. The relative contributions of these processes depend on cell type, tissue context, and disease stage. Within aging tissues, persistent damage signals and impaired cellular homeostasis may favor repeated inflammasome activation, establishing a cycle of inflammatory amplification and further tissue injury. However, the pathological consequences vary across organs. In neurodegenerative diseases, inflammasome signaling is associated with neuroinflammation and neuronal vulnerability; in osteoarthritis, it may contribute to joint inflammation and cartilage degeneration. In atherosclerosis, it is implicated in vascular inflammation and plaque progression, whereas in type 2 diabetes, it is linked to metabolic inflammation and impaired glucose homeostasis. These distinctions underscore the importance of interpreting shared molecular mechanisms within specific tissue environments. The review further discusses the therapeutic potential of targeting inflammasomes to mitigate inflammaging and associated disease processes. Strategies include inhibiting NLRP3 activation, modulating upstream stress and priming pathways, and limiting downstream inflammatory signaling or pyroptotic cell death. By interrupting shared mechanisms of inflammatory amplification, these approaches may offer opportunities for coordinated intervention across multiple age-related disorders. Nevertheless, mechanistic overlap does not imply uniform therapeutic responses, and benefits observed in experimental models should not be equated with established clinical efficacy or evidence of delayed human aging.Successful clinical translation will require careful consideration of disease stage, tissue specificity, treatment timing, and the consequences of prolonged interference with innate immune defenses. Long-term safety is particularly important for older populations and preventive applications. The limited availability of validated biomarkers of inflammasome activity also complicates patient stratification, assessment of target engagement, and monitoring of therapeutic responses. Future research should clarify causal relationships, identify contexts in which inflammasome inhibition is most beneficial, and establish reliable translational endpoints. Overall, inflammasomes represent an important link between aging-associated damage and chronic inflammatory amplification, supporting their investigation as shared targets for early intervention in multiple age-related diseases, while highlighting the need for disease-specific evaluation and rigorous assessment of benefits and risks.

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彭鑫,钱言,张龙,陈欢,侯宏卫.炎症小体在衰老及其相关疾病中的作用机制[J].生物化学与生物物理进展,,():

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  • 收稿日期:2026-07-10
  • 最后修改日期:2026-10-10
  • 录用日期:2026-10-12
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