Nardilysin: A Protein Scientists Are Studying as a Link Between Type 1 Diabetes and Other Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases affect between 5% and 10% of the global population, with higher rates in women (13%) than in men (7%). Type 1 diabetes is one of many conditions in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own cells and tissues. Despite significant advances in understanding how the immune system works, scientists still don't fully understand the molecular mechanisms—the cellular-level processes—that cause immune dysregulation in these diseases.

Nardilysin, also known as NRDc or NRD convertase, is a zinc-dependent enzyme—a protein that speeds up chemical reactions in cells and requires zinc to function. Researchers have identified it as playing multiple roles in the body, including regulating immune signaling, controlling gene activity, influencing cell differentiation and growth, maintaining cellular balance, and affecting metabolism and body temperature. Beyond these broad functions, nardilysin appears to have specific roles in controlling immune responses.

Recent studies have found that nardilysin dysregulation—meaning the enzyme is not working as it should—is a common feature across Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and vitiligo. However, the specific ways nardilysin malfunction contributes to disease appears to differ depending on which condition is involved.

In immune dysregulation, nardilysin appears to influence several key immune processes. These include controlling the release of VTCN1 (also called B7-H4), an immune checkpoint protein that normally helps regulate immune responses; affecting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are signaling molecules that promote inflammation; and activating pathways that release tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and its receptors, which are involved in inflammatory responses.

While scientists recognize nardilysin's involvement in immune signaling, they currently lack a comprehensive framework that explains how all of its diverse functions across the body connect to autoimmune disease development. Researchers propose viewing nardilysin not simply as a bystander enzyme but as a crucial molecular indicator—a marker that could help scientists understand disease mechanisms—and potentially as a therapeutic interface, meaning a point where future treatments might intervene.

The authors of this research outline specific, testable predictions to guide future investigations, positioning their work as hypothesis-generating. This means their goal is to spark and direct future research rather than to provide definitive answers about nardilysin's role in Type 1 diabetes.

Source: Frontiers in immunology. Evidence type: PubMed indexed literature. Type1Cure is an information and intelligence hub, not a medical advice service. This article summarizes published research and does not provide diagnosis, treatment, or personal medical guidance. Always talk to your own care team before changing anything about your Type 1 diabetes management.