Neprilysin (NEP, CD10, CALLA - common acute lymphoblastic leukaemia antigen, neutral endopeptidase, enkephalinase) is a zinc-dependent metallopeptidase, which is involved in the metabolism of a number of regulatory peptides and plays an important role in turning off peptide signalling at the cell surface. NEP gene is located on chromosome 3q 25.1-q25.2 and is composed of 24 exons. Four types of NEP cDNAs have been identified resulting from alternative splicing of exons 1, 1bis, 2a or 2b to the common exon 3. Neprilysin is expressed in normal and malignant hematopoietic cells and in epithelial cells of many organs. In kidneys, it is expressed in podocytes, renal proximal tubular epithelium and in smooth muscles of the vessels.