IL1B and neurodegenerative disease: Inflammation occurs in vulnerable brain regions of individuals with neurodegenerative disease, including the cortex, striatum and hippocampus, which is characterized by microglia activation and abnormally elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) [3].