Sterile inflammation results from the accidental activation of the innate immune system by one’s own molecules, in the absence of an infection. Such inflammation can occur when the cytosolic nucleic acid sensing receptors, which normally detect viral DNA or RNA, are triggered by our own nucleic acids, leading to unwanted innate immune activation. In our research we study the molecular mechanisms that prevent activation of the nucleic acid sensing machinery by our own RNA, and what happens if these mechanisms fail.