In these systems, deleting or downregulating Il18 accelerated tumor growth in vivo, in immunocompetent syngeneic C57BL/6 mice, a detrimental phenotype that could be reversed by the transgene-driven overexpression of wild-type (WT) IL18, as well as by CASP1-resistant IL18D35A, but not CASP3-resistant IL18D69A in malignant cells. Here, IL18 is linked to neoplasm.