Toward targeting of inflammasome signaling in venous thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a serious and debilitating vascular condition with sequelae that include postthrombotic syndrome and pulmonary embolism. Current treatments for DVT are limited by their contraindications and suboptimal safety profiles. Pharmacological approaches that safely and effectively reduce thrombus formation are being investigated in laboratory and clinical settings, including agents that aim to inhibit the interplay between thrombosis and inflammation. Recent studies have shown that inflammasome complexes-multiprotein inflammatory complexes activated by pathogen-associated molecular patterns and damage-associated molecular patterns-play a role in the development and propagation of DVT. Thus, inflammasome complexes have attracted considerable interest as possible therapeutic targets for the treatment of DVT. This review summarizes the current knowledge on inflammasome complexes and discusses studies on their role and therapeutic potential in DVT. An improved understanding of inflammasome-dependent regulation of DVT could lead to the development of safe and effective treatments for patients affected by this condition.