The Coenzyme A Precursor Pantethine Enhances Antitumor Immunity in Sarcoma

The study explored the impact of pantethine, a coenzyme A precursor, on antitumor immunity in sarcoma across several experiments with different mouse models. Pantethine was shown to reduce tumor growth in immunocompetent mice by enhancing the activity of immune cells, particularly CD8+ T cells and NK cells, and improving their metabolic function. The treatment was effective even in the absence of certain immune signaling pathways, indicating a broad mechanism of action. Pantethine's effects were comparable to anti-PD1 treatment in sensitive tumors and were associated with metabolic changes in immune cells rather than the tumor cells themselves. The study involved various sample sizes, including 88 C57BL/6 mice and 26 nude mice for tumor growth experiments, and smaller groups for specific analyses such as metabolomics quantification (n=7), tumor growth scoring (n=24), and other metabolic assessments. The findings suggest pantethine has potential as a therapeutic immunoadjuvant for sarcomas, capable of modulating immune responses and enhancing the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors.