IL-1 inhibitors

Abstract

IL-1 inhibitors are monoclonal antibody that can inhibit the function of human interleukin (IL) -1β. IL-1β is an inflammatory cytokine induced by the activation of inflammasome. There are several diseases due to the involvement of IL-1β activation in those inflammatory pathogeneses. In this article, we describe the functional mechanism, efficacy, and prospects of canakinumab, an anti-IL-1β antibody which is available in Japan. The worldwide current options of therapeutic drug to suppress the IL-1β signaling are canakinumab, a fully human anti-IL-1β antibody, anakinra, an IL-1 receptor antagonist, and rilonacept, an IL-1 trap. These IL-1 inhibitors can be used not only for autoinflammatory diseases such as cryopyrin-associated periodic fever syndrome, but also for systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis globally. Additionally, in US and Europe, canakinumab is indicated for the patients with adult-onset still disease and gouty arthritis. Further clarification of the role of IL-1 in various inflammatory response should lead the elucidation of the pathogenesis of human intractable diseases and control of disease activity by using IL-1 inhibitors.