Chinese Scientists: Vitamin B5 Derivative Pantethine May Help Treat Psoriasis
Researchers in China found that the supplement pantethine calms overactive immune cells, prevented psoriasis in mice and improved symptoms in a small human trial. The authors stress that larger studies are needed.
A team of Chinese scientists reports that pantethine, a widely available nutritional supplement derived from vitamin B5, could become a new add-on treatment for psoriasis. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease linked to excessive immune activity and persistent inflammation. The study was published on October 27 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. It points to an unexpected link between cholesterol production and the immune system, and the finding may also matter for other autoimmune diseases.
How immune cells contribute to psoriasis
The research focuses on dendritic cells, specialized immune cells that coordinate the body's defenses. They capture foreign substances called antigens, present them to T cells and release chemical signals that recruit other immune cells and trigger inflammation. When dendritic cells become overactive, they can sustain chronic inflammation and contribute to diseases such as psoriasis.
The cholesterol connection
The researchers found unusually high levels of enzymes called Vanins in dendritic cells from people with psoriasis and several other autoimmune diseases. Reducing Vanin levels made the cells less active and less able to stimulate T cells. A drug that inhibits Vanins prevented psoriasis from developing in mice.
Vanins convert pantethine into vitamin B5. Excessive Vanin activity lowers the amount of pantethine inside the cells, so cholesterol production rises and the cells become overactive. Restoring pantethine levels interrupted this process. Pantethine is already sold as a supplement and is used to lower blood cholesterol.
A small human trial
The clinical trial involved 24 patients with psoriasis. All used an ointment containing calcipotriene and betamethasone, while half also took pantethine tablets. After 12 weeks, the pantethine group showed greater improvement in symptoms, especially participants who had high cholesterol before treatment.
The researchers note that the number of participants is small and that larger studies are needed to confirm effectiveness. The results also do not establish that the same mechanism seen in the laboratory explains the improvement in patients. Study leader Wei-Na Zhang of the State Key Laboratory of Biomedical Analysis in Beijing describes the findings as proof-of-concept.
