We focused on IL-1 for several reasons: First, IL-1 is a well known stimulus of IL-8 production [44]; second, binding of IL-1 to IL-1R activates the TACE-EGFR cascade [42], [43]; third, proteins in the IL-1R signaling pathway are upregulated in CF airway epithelial cells [15], [41]; and fourth, IL-1R blockade has been previously reported to suppress exaggerated IL-8 production in CF airway epithelial cells [41]. Here, IL1R1 is linked to cystic fibrosis.