Step 1: Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine that is produced in an inactive precursor form (pro-IL-1 beta) and needs proteolytic cleavage to become active. Step 2: This cleavage is carried out by Caspase-1, which is also called interleukin-1 converting enzyme (ICE). Caspase-1 is activated within the inflammasome complex. Step 3: Once activated, Caspase-1 cleaves pro-IL-1 beta and pro-IL-18 into their mature active forms, which are then secreted to drive the inflammatory response in neighbouring cells. Step 4: Caspase 3 and Caspase 8 are involved in apoptosis (executioner and initiator caspases), not in IL-1 activation, so they are wrong. Hence Caspase 1 is the correct answer.