Interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and IL-1β are potent inflammatory
cytokines that activate local and systemic inflammatory processes and are involved in protective immune responses against
infections. However, their dysregulated production and signaling can aggravate tissue damage during
infection, inflammatory diseases, and
chemotherapy-induced intestinal
mucositis. Additionally,
cytokines of the
IL-1 family play an important role in homeostatic as well as "emergency" hematopoiesis and are involved in the pathogenesis of several myeloid and lymphoid
hematological malignancies. In the pathogenesis of intestinal
mucositis and
graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), these
cytokines are considered pivotal during the initiation as well as propagation phase, and insights from animal studies suggest that targeting the
IL-1 pathway can significantly ameliorate
mucositis and GVHD. Moreover, IL-1α and IL-1β might prove to be valuable targets for both prevention and treatment of
cancer and
cancer therapy-related complications, and the first clinical studies have already been performed in the setting of
hematological malignancies. In this review, we will discuss the role of
cytokines of the
IL-1 family in
hematological malignancies,
chemotherapy-induced intestinal
mucositis, and GVHD, and speculate on possibilities of therapeutically targeting the
IL-1 pathway in hematological patients.