- Autoinflammatory diseases are illnesses that produce episodes of inflammation such as fever, rash, or joint swelling. Some of these diseases can be treated with medications that block the body's reaction to a protein called IL-1, which may be part of the cause of the inflammation. IL-1 blocking agents are very helpful in treating autoinflammatory diseases and have become the standard of care for treatment for some of these diseases. However, more research is needed on related diseases that may be treated with new and currently used IL-1 blocking agents.