What happened
Researchers in Beijing found that pantethine, a nutritional supplement derived from vitamin B5, could help treat psoriasis. In mice it prevented the disease from developing, and in a small clinical trial in people it improved symptoms. The study appeared on October 27 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Why it matters
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease in which the defense system sustains persistent inflammation. The work links two areas usually studied separately: cholesterol metabolism and immune cell activity. If the link is confirmed, a cheap, available compound could complement current treatments and also serve in other autoimmune diseases.
The number
In dendritic cells from people with psoriasis and other autoimmune diseases, the team found unusually high levels of enzymes called Vanins.
Context
Dendritic cells are the coordinators of defense: they capture antigens, present them to T cells and release signals that recruit other immune cells. When they become overactive, they contribute to chronic inflammation. When Vanin levels were lowered, dendritic cells stimulated T cells less, and a drug designed to inhibit those enzymes prevented psoriasis in mice. The research was led by Wei-Na Zhang of the State Key Laboratory of Biomedical Analysis in Beijing, with colleagues from that center and from the First Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital. Zhang noted that metabolic pathways are key to regulating immune function, but therapies targeting metabolism in inflammatory diseases remain little explored. On related topics, Mamífero published Shopping agents copy human buyers’ shortcuts; Coffee and less dementia after 43 years of follow-up; Scan-guided statins: same events, fewer prescriptions and Full-fat dairy did not harm cholesterol in a trial.
What’s next
A trial with more participants, a comparison group and long follow-up is needed to know whether pantethine works and which doses would be safe. That it is an over-the-counter supplement does not mean people with psoriasis should take it on their own while those data do not exist.
Bottom line
It is a preliminary result, but it offers a new explanation of how inflammation is switched on and a clue for treating it.
Sources
- ScienceDaily, summary of the study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (accessed November 9, 2026).
- Cover image: Gadogado123, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Edited by Rodrigo Cornejo. How we select and verify: who writes these notes.
