Nicotinamide riboside reduces inflammation in psoriasis
In a randomized trial of 27 people with mild-to-moderate psoriasis, four weeks of oral nicotinamide riboside reduced inflammatory immune activity compared with a placebo.
Blinded, placebo-controlled, registered NCT04271735
Limit: Only 27 participants in the trial
Stake: ChromaDex supplied the nicotinamide riboside.
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 27 volunteers with mild-to-moderate psoriasis received 500 milligrams of oral nicotinamide riboside twice daily or a matching placebo for four weeks. The supplement increased whole-blood levels of NAD+, a molecule involved in cellular energy use, and reduced the responsiveness of Th17 cells, immune cells that promote inflammation. It also lowered blood levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, and modestly reduced neutrophils, a type of white blood cell. The authors reported no serious adverse effects.
In laboratory experiments, nicotinamide riboside increased production of SLIT2, a signaling protein, in fibroblasts, connective-tissue cells grown from human skin samples. In cultured helper T cells and fibroblasts, SLIT2 acted through ROBO1, a receptor protein, to reduce inflammatory signaling.
Why it matters
For aging research, the work raises a question: whether this communication between skin cells and immune cells also shapes responses to NAD+ supplementation as people age.
Caveats
The trial included only 27 participants and was designed to study mechanisms rather than clinical efficacy, with too few subjects to analyze results by sex. In addition, the specific signaling interactions were demonstrated in cultured cells rather than directly inside the human body.
From the paper
- Participants
To validate the in-vivo effect of NR in participants with psoriasis, we recruited and obtained consent from 27 volunteers with mild-to-moderate psoriasis to participate in a randomized, oral study comparing NR with a placebo (500 mg twice daily).
Results, Oral NR attenuates Th1 and Th17 immune responsiveness in psoriasis.
- Duration
The study protocol is schematized, with research blood drawn at baseline and after 4 weeks of supplementation (; supplemental material available online with this article; https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.203826DS1).
Results, Oral NR attenuates Th1 and Th17 immune responsiveness in psoriasis.
- Harms
NR was well tolerated with no serious adverse effects.
Results, Oral NR attenuates Th1 and Th17 immune responsiveness in psoriasis.
- Th17 immune responsiveness
Consistent with our prior ex vivo study, NR blunted both IFN-γ (IFNg) and IL-17 production in response to T cell receptor (TCR) activation of CD4⁺ T cells (Th0) isolated from psoriatic individuals, with no effect on the Th2 cytokine IL-4.
Results, Oral NR attenuates Th1 and Th17 immune responsiveness in psoriasis.
- SLIT2
NR supplementation significantly increased circulating SLIT2 levels without affecting SLIT3 levels in serum from the in vivo intervention study.
- Canonical Th17 polarization
Consistent with these transcriptional and cytokine findings, SLIT2 also attenuated canonical Th17 signaling, evidenced by reduced phosphorylation of STAT3 and downstream mTOR pathway regulators P70S6k, and S6, in Th17 cells.
Results, SLIT2 mimics the effect of NR on dampening Th17 immune responsiveness.
Quoted word for word from the full text on PubMed Central.
The paper
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
JCI Insight, Apr 28, 2026, Open access
