New insights into the mechanism of IL-1β maturation

The pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β is initially synthesised in an inactive precursor form and therefore requires processing by caspase-1 for activation. Recently, several investigators have identified a number of proteins that are implicated in caspase-1 activation, and other proteins that negatively regulate both caspase-1 activation and IL-1β processing have also been identified. Drugs that target these components may have therapeutic benefits for inflammatory diseases.