Inflammation was initially believed to be a host response against tumors, leading to tumor suppression and favorable prognosis. However, mounting evidence indicates that inflammation has the paradoxical effect to enhance tumorigenesis and induce unfavorable clinical prognosis and therapy resistance in cancer patients. Over the years Dr. Marchetti has developed a particular interest in a subset of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), named NOD-like receptors (NLRs). Unlike membrane bound Toll-like receptors, which sense danger signals on the cell surface or endosomes, NLRs work in the host cytosol. NLRs activity have been described in infections but also in cancer. Currently a major drive of the Marchetti laboratory is to investigate the molecular pathways that lead to NLRs activation and the effect of such activation in tumor progression of various cancer including melanoma and pancreatic cancer.