This cytokine is an important mediator of the inflammatory response, and is involved in a variety of cellular activities, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.
The induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (PTGS2/COX2) by this cytokine in the central nervous system (CNS) is found to contribute to inflammatory pain hypersensitivity.
IL-1β has the following amino acid sequence: The physiological activity determined from the dose dependent proliferation of murine D10S cells is 2.5 x 108 to 7.1 x 108 units/mg.
[21] The presence of IL-1β has been also found in patients with multiple sclerosis (a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system).
[22] Several types of inflammasomes are suggested to play role in tumorgenesis due to their immunomodulatory properties, modulation of gut microbiota, differentiation and apoptosis.
It has also been shown in another study that IL-1β, together with IL-8, plays an important role in chemoresistance of malignant pleural mesothelioma by inducing expression of transmembrane transporters.
[23] Another study showed that inhibition of inflammasome and IL-1β expression decreased development of cancer cells in melanoma.
[24] Furthermore, it has been found that in breast cancer cells, IL-1β activates p38 and p42/22 MAPK pathways which ultimately lead to the secretion of the RANK/RANKL inhibitor osteoprotegerin.
The mucosal epithelial layer responds to this by producing less or altering the tight junction proteins which makes it easier for pathogenic microbes to move into the lamina propria.
[13] It has been shown that IL-1 family plays important role in inflammation in many degenerative diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinitis pigmentosa.
It has been shown that human retinal pigmented epithelial cells can secrete IL-1 β in exposure to oxidative stress.
The inflammatory process including NLRP3 upregulation is one of the causes of age-related macular degeneration and other retinal diseases that lead to vision loss.
[26][27][28] Additionally, it has been shown that caspase-1 is upregulated in the retina of diabetic patients, causing a higher production of IL-1β and subsequent death of retinal neurons.
Anakinra blocks the biologic activity of IL-1 alpha and beta by competitively inhibiting IL-1 binding to the interleukin type 1 receptor (IL-1RI), which is expressed in a wide variety of tissues and organs.
Canakinumab is a human monoclonal antibody targeted at IL-1B, and approved in many countries for treatment of cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes.