期刊連結：http://www.gouthyperuricemia.org

Purpose: The purpose of this review is to present recent progress upon gout inflammation, especially for the discovery of never in mitosis gene A (NIMA)-related kinase 7 (NEK7). In addition, whether NEK7 is a potential target for investigation of metabolic syndrome and cancer is also evaluated.

Findings: Three different teams have shown that NEK7 is an essential component of NLRP3 (nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat family pyrin domain containing 3) inflammasome activation; NEK7-mutant mice had defective interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production; NEK7 is an NLRP3-binding molecule. In addition, the association of NEK7 and hepatocellular carcinoma has been discovered.

Conclusion: The role of NEK7 in gout, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cancer warrants further investigation.