--- title: "Pantethine Shows Promise as Psoriasis Treatment" url: https://noti.group/pantethine-shows-promise-as-psoriasis-treatment/ language: en publisher: "Noti Group" section: "Health" published: 2026-11-09T11:44:20.000Z updated: 2026-11-09T14:32:21.404Z id: 1cc72d96-7f17-4f75-ad6d-12f32e05e223 source: "ScienceDaily Health https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/11/261108233057.htm" attribution: "Link to https://noti.group/pantethine-shows-promise-as-psoriasis-treatment/ and name Noti Group when you quote or summarize this story." --- # Pantethine Shows Promise as Psoriasis Treatment A breakthrough discovery in China has shed new light on a potential treatment for psoriasis, one of the most common skin conditions affecting millions worldwide. Scientists have found that pantethine, a widely available nutritional supplement derived from vitamin B5, may offer a promising approach to treating this autoimmune disease. The research reveals an unexpected link between cholesterol production and the immune system, with pantethine interfering with this process to potentially reduce excessive immune activity responsible for psoriasis. By targeting this underlying mechanism, pantethine could help alleviate symptoms of the condition in patients. Dendritic cells are at the center of the discovery, acting as specialized immune coordinators that identify potential threats and direct other immune cells to respond. These cells perform their role by capturing foreign substances called antigens and presenting them to T cells, which recognize specific threats. However, when dendritic cells become excessively active, they can contribute to persistent inflammation and autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis. This excessive activity leads to the release of chemical signals that recruit additional immune cells and trigger inflammation, causing problems for individuals with psoriasis. Understanding this process has been crucial in identifying pantethine as a potential treatment option, which shows promise in both animal studies and small human clinical trials. Researchers have been examining the intricate relationship between metabolic pathways and immune cell function in autoimmune diseases. According to Wei-Na Zhang, a researcher at the State Key Laboratory of Biomedical Analysis in Beijing, emerging evidence suggests that therapeutic strategies targeting metabolism in inflammatory diseases are still underexplored. The study was led by Zhang alongside Qing Xia, Ai-Ling Li, Tao Zhou, and Cheng-Xin Li from various institutions in Beijing. Together, they investigated the metabolic pathways involved in autoimmune progression and identified key enzymes playing a crucial role. Dendritic cells from people with psoriasis and other autoimmune diseases were found to have unusually high levels of Vanins, enzymes responsible for regulating the processing of certain substances involved in cellular metabolism. These enzymes help break down pantethine into vitamin B5, an essential nutrient that cells need to produce energy. Vanins convert pantethine into vitamin B5, a crucial step in energy production for cells. Notably, pantethine is already available as a nutritional supplement and has been used to lower blood cholesterol levels by reducing cholesterol production. The researchers discovered that reducing Vanin levels in dendritic cells resulted in decreased activity of these immune cells and impaired their ability to stimulate T cells. Furthermore, inhibiting Vanins with a specific drug prevented psoriasis from developing in mice, suggesting the potential therapeutic benefits of targeting this metabolic pathway. The role of cholesterol in immune cells has been a subject of interest for researchers studying psoriasis. This is because elevated blood cholesterol levels are a major risk factor for developing the condition. Furthermore, previous studies have shown that cholesterol can stimulate dendritic cell activity, which plays a crucial role in triggering an autoimmune response. Dendritic cells are immune cells that help initiate and regulate inflammation. They become unusually active when their internal environment changes, leading to excessive activation of other immune cells. The team discovered that Vanin activity is linked to this process, with excessive Vanin levels reducing the availability of pantethine within dendritic cells. Pantethine is a compound involved in cholesterol production. When its levels fall inside dendritic cells, it triggers an increase in cholesterol production, leading to overactive immune responses and inflammation. Restoring pantethine levels seems to interrupt this process, with reduced cholesterol accumulation within the immune cells and less excessive activation associated with inflammation. The researchers found that administering pantethine effectively alleviated psoriasis symptoms in mice, suggesting a potential link between insufficient pantethine levels and hyperactivation of dendritic cells leading to autoimmune inflammation. Further investigation was needed to determine if pantethine could also benefit people living with the condition. To this end, the team conducted a small clinical trial involving 24 patients with psoriasis. Participants received a topical ointment containing calcipotriene/betamethasone, which is commonly used to control psoriasis symptoms. The researchers also examined whether adding pantethine to standard treatment could improve outcomes by giving half of the participants tablets containing this supplement. After 12 weeks, patients who received both pantethine and their prescribed ointment showed greater improvement in psoriasis symptoms compared to those receiving only the ointment. This benefit was particularly noticeable among individuals with high blood cholesterol levels before treatment, suggesting that their cholesterol metabolism may be contributing to inflammation. The study's findings suggest that pantethine could potentially serve as an additional treatment for psoriasis, especially for patients whose cholesterol metabolism is linked to inflammation. However, it is essential to note that this trial involved only a small number of participants. While the results are promising, the researchers emphasize that larger studies are necessary to confirm pantethine's effectiveness and establish its role in treating psoriasis. Researchers have found that pantethine, a naturally occurring compound found in the body and certain foods, may play a significant role in treating psoriasis. This discovery suggests that pantethine could potentially help regulate inflammation in patients with the condition. Pantethine's effectiveness against psoriasis is promising, but further studies are required to confirm its potential benefits. A larger study would provide more insight into how pantethine affects the skin and whether it can be a viable treatment option for those suffering from psoriasis. --- Source: [ScienceDaily Health](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/11/261108233057.htm) Published by Noti Group: https://noti.group/pantethine-shows-promise-as-psoriasis-treatment/