IL18 and colitis: While earlier studies indicated that IL-1β and IL-18, together with other components of the inflammasome, exacerbate colitis and promote colitis-associated cancer ( Siegmund et al., 2001a,b;  Sivakumar et al., 2002;  Ishikura et al., 2003;  Loher et al., 2004;  Bauer et al., 2007), more recent evidence suggests that these molecules play a protective role by impeding colitis and progression to cancer ( Takagi et al., 2003;  Allen et al., 2010;  Dupaul-Chicoine et al., 2010;  Salcedo et al., 2010;  Zaki et al., 2010a,b).