Therapeutic targeting of proinflammatory cytokines is clinically beneficial in several autoimmune disorders. Several of these cytokines are directly implicated in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes, suggesting opportunities for design of clinical trials in type 1 diabetes that incorporate selective cytokine blockade as a component of preventative or interventional immunotherapy. The rationale and status of inhibitory therapy directed against IL-1, TNF, IL-12, IL-23, and IL-6 are discussed, towards a goal of using cytokine inhibition as a therapeutic platform to establish an in vivo milieu suitable for modulating the immune response in T1D.