This review of the relation of IL-1β to human IBD establishes that whereas increased or decreased activity of the NLRP3 inflammasome can have varying effects on experimental gut inflammation due to the complexity of effects generated by inflammasome activation or lack thereof, both experimental colitis and colitis in humans with IBD is exacerbated when IL-1β secretion is increased due to various genetic factors. This evidence concerns the gene NLRP3 and colitis.