Benzalkonium chloride initiates proinflammatory responses via NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

A representative surfactant, benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is used as a disinfectant, but sometimes causes serious side effects, including lung disorders such as interstitial pneumonia. However, its pathogenic mechanisms remain unexplained. In this study, we identified a novel mechanism by which BAC initiates inflammatory responses that may be responsible for its side effects.

The NLRP3 Inflammasome Works as a Sensor for Detecting Hypoactivity of the Mitochondrial Src Family Kinases.

Gefitinib (GF), the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) targeting epidermal growth factor receptor, initiates lung inflammation through the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. However, the molecular targets and mechanisms underlying the inflammatory action of GF remain unknown. In this study, we identified mitochondrial Src family kinases (mSFKs) as key determinants of GF-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation.