High‐mobility group box‐1 in sterile inflammation

High‐mobility group box 1 ( HMGB 1) was originally defined as a ubiquitous nuclear protein, but it was later determined that the protein has different roles both inside and outside of cells. Nuclear HMGB 1 regulates chromatin structure and gene transcription, whereas cytosolic HMGB 1 is involved in inflammasome activation and autophagy. Extracellular HMGB 1 has drawn attention because it can bind to related cell signalling transduction receptors, such as the receptor for advanced glycation end products, Toll‐like receptor ( TLR )2, TLR 4 and TLR 9. It also participates in the development and progression of a variety of diseases. HMGB 1 is actively secreted by stimulation of the innate immune system, and it is passively released by ischaemia or cell injury. This review focuses on the important role of HMGB 1 in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic sterile inflammatory conditions. Strategies that target HMGB 1 have been shown to significantly decrease inflammation in several disease models of sterile inflammation, and this may represent a promising clinical approach for treatment of certain conditions associated with sterile inflammation.