title: Role of interleukin-1beta during pain and inflammation.
abstract: The cytokine cascade in pain and inflammatory processes is a tremendously complex system, involving glial, immune, and neuronal cell interactions. IL-1beta is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that has been implicated in pain, inflammation and autoimmune conditions. This review will focus on studies that shed light on the critical role of IL-1beta in various pain states, including the role of the intracellular complex, the inflammasome, which regulates IL-1beta production. Evidence will be presented demonstrating the importance of IL-1beta in both the induction of pain and in the maintenance of pain in chronic states, such as after nerve injury. Additionally, the involvement of IL-1beta as a key mediator in the interaction between glia and neurons in pain states will be discussed. Taken together, the evidence presented in the current review showing the importance of IL-1beta in animal and human pain states, suggests that blockade of IL-1beta be considered as a therapeutic opportunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, Dental School & Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201-1586, USA.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D009420:Nervous System / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D010146:Pain / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate