IL1R1 and gout: Previous animal model studies using anakinra (IL-1R antagonist) suggested the possibility of targeting IL-1β to modulate MSU-induced inflammation (Martin et al., 2009; Torres et al., 2009), and early clinical studies also demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of acute and chronic gout patients (Mcgonagle et al., 2007; So et al., 2007; McGonagle et al., 2008).