Lithium compounds, a classic class of
metal complex medicine that target GSK 3β and are widely known as mood-stabilizer, have recently been reported as potential anti-
tumor drugs. The objective of this investigation was to explore the anticancer potential of
lithium chloride (LiCl) and elucidate its mode of action in
pancreatic cancer cells. The MTT, colony formation, and Edu assay were used to evaluate the impact of LiCl on
pancreatic cancer cell proliferation. Various methods were employed to investigate the anti-
tumor activity of LiCl and its underlying mechanisms. Cell cycle analysis and apoptosis detection assays were utilized for in vitro experiments, while the orthotopic
pancreatic cancer mouse model was employed to evaluate the effectiveness of LiCl treatment in vivo. Furthermore, the impact of LiCl on the proliferation of patient-derived organoids was also studied. The results demonstrated that LiCl inhibited the proliferation of
pancreatic cancer (PC) cells, induced G2/M phase arrest, and activated apoptosis. Notably, the triggering of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress by LiCl was observed, leading to the activation of the PERK/CHOP/GADD34 pathway, which subsequently promoted apoptosis in PC cells. In the future,
Lithium compounds could become an essential adjunct in the treatment of human
pancreatic cancer.