The Role of IL-1β in Dermatology

Cytokines are crucial for immunomodulation and are involved in the pathogenesis of multiple chronic inflammatory skin diseases. IL-1 beta is the oldest cytokine but still enjoys a lot of scientific and clinical attention despite its initial identification in 1977. After the discovery of the inflammasome, a multiprotein machinery, which leads to the secretion of bioactive IL-1 beta, research on this molecule has increased significantly and led to new immunotherapies for autoinflammatory syndromes, which are characterized by mutations in the inflammasome and increased IL-1 beta activity. In this review article we would like to highlight that the spectrum of IL-1 beta mediated skin diseases goes far beyond autoinflammatory syndromes. Therefore, several other chronic inflammatory skin diseases that fail to respond to conventional therapies could profit from IL-1 beta targeting strategies due to the involvement of IL-1 beta in their pathogenesis.