IL 1 beta Human

Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) is a proinflammatory cytokine that plays a crucial role in the body’s immune response. It is produced by activated macrophages, monocytes, and dendritic cells in response to inflammatory stimuli . IL-1β is involved in various cellular activities, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis .

IL-1β is initially synthesized as a 31 kDa inactive pro-form that accumulates in the cytosol . The active form of IL-1β is a 17.3 kDa protein containing 153 amino acid residues . The conversion from the inactive to the active form requires the activation of inflammasomes, which are multi-protein complexes that respond to pathogens, stress conditions, and other danger signals . Inflammasome activation triggers the processing of the caspase-1 precursor into its active form, which in turn cleaves pro-IL-1β .

IL-1β lacks a signal sequence peptide for the classical ER/Golgi pathway and is secreted alongside caspase-1 via an alternate and incompletely understood mechanism . Although IL-1β is most often secreted in its active form, secretion of the uncleaved protein may be detectable under some biological conditions .

IL-1β is an important mediator of the inflammatory response and is involved in a variety of cellular activities . It induces the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the central nervous system, contributing to inflammatory pain hypersensitivity . Additionally, IL-1β, in combination with IL-23, induces the expression of IL-17, IL-21, and IL-22 by γδ T cells, suggesting its role in the modulation of autoimmune inflammation .

Recombinant human IL-1β is used in various research and clinical applications. It can be used for the maturation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (Mo-DCs) and for differentiation within the lymphoid lineage, such as Th17 development and B cell proliferation . The proinflammatory cytokine is produced upon infection or injury and is involved in diverse cellular processes .