Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 2, 2025

Evaluation of the In vivo Antitumor Activity of Polyanhydride IL-1α Nanoparticles
Published on: June 28, 2021
Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases with IL-1 Blockade
1Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, 80045, USA.
Background:
Autoinflammatory diseases are distinct from autoimmune diseases. Whereas autoinflammatory diseases are due to dysfunctional T-cells and B-cells, autoinflammatory diseases are due to overproduction of macrophage cytokines particularly interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β). A causative role for IL-1 in autoinflammatory diseases is derived from clinical studies blocking the IL-1 receptor or neutralizing monoclonal antibodies or soluble receptors.
Methods:
A review was performed of clinical trials in autoinflammatory diseases using the IL-1 receptor antagonist (anakinra), the soluble IL-1 receptor (rilonacept), antibodies to IL-1β (canakinumab, gevokizumab) and anti-IL-1α (xilonix).
Findings:
Anakinra blocks the IL-1 Receptor type 1 (IL-1R1) and therefore blocks the activities of both IL-1α and IL-1β. Off-label use of anakinra is common for a broad spectrum of inflammatory diseases. Neutralization of IL-1β is used to treat hereditary autoinflammatory diseases but also atherosclerosis. Rilonacept reduces arterial wall inflammation in patients with chronic kidney disease. Neutralization of IL-1α has prolonged life in patients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer. Compared to other cytokine blocking therapies, reducing the activities of IL-1 has an excellent safety record.
Conclusions:
Blocking IL-1 therapies can be used to treat a wide-spectrum of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases.
Related Concept Videos
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Biologic Agents: Anti-TNF
Inflammatory Bowel Disease IV: Pharmacological Management
Pharmacologic...
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Glucocorticoids
Drugs for Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis in IBD
T Cell Types and Functions
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...

