Caspase-1 is an enzyme involved in the conversion of interleukin-1 into its active secreted form. Interleukin-1 mediates inflammatory responses during infection and disease. Caspase-1 is recruited to and activated by the inflammasome complex (1). Under normal cellular conditions caspase-1 exists in an inactive pro form. Following stimulation with LPS or various microbial signals procaspase-1 is proteolytically cleaved into 10- and 20-kDa subunits that are enzymatically active (2).
