Lithium induces mortality in medulloblastoma cell lines

  • Authors:
    • Alice Ronchi
    • Roberta Salaroli
    • Stefano Rivetti
    • Elena Della Bella
    • Tiziano Di Tomaso
    • Manuela Voltattorni
    • Silvia Cammelli
    • Claudio Ceccarelli
    • Felice Giangaspero
    • Enza Barbieri
    • Giovanna Cenacchi
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: September 1, 2010     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo_00000724
  • Pages: 745-752
Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )


Abstract

Lithium is the main therapeutic agent for the treatment of bipolar disorders but nerve cells are not the sole target of this drug. Indeed, lithium has been reported to target numerous cell types and to affect cell proliferation, differentiation and death. Lithium targets a variety of enzymes among which there is GSK-3β and a number of cell responses elicited by lithium are mediated by the Wnt pathway that is involved in medulloblastoma (MB) pathogenesis. We studied the in vitro effects of lithium on two different MB cell lines: D283MED and DAOY. High doses of lithium inhibited GSK3-β, decreased cell proliferation and induced non-apoptotic cell death in both cell lines independently by intracellular levels of β-catenin that is consistently high only in D283MED. At clinical doses, the anti-neoplastic effects were observed only in this cell line, highlighting the importance of a specific molecular background in determining the target therapy response. In conclusion, lithium could be a promising drug in MB, but an accurate molecular profile predictive of drug response still needs to be clarified.

Related Articles

Journal Cover

September 2010
Volume 37 Issue 3

Print ISSN: 1019-6439
Online ISSN:1791-2423

Sign up for eToc alerts

Recommend to Library

Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Ronchi A, Salaroli R, Rivetti S, Della Bella E, Di Tomaso T, Voltattorni M, Cammelli S, Ceccarelli C, Giangaspero F, Barbieri E, Barbieri E, et al: Lithium induces mortality in medulloblastoma cell lines. Int J Oncol 37: 745-752, 2010
APA
Ronchi, A., Salaroli, R., Rivetti, S., Della Bella, E., Di Tomaso, T., Voltattorni, M. ... Cenacchi, G. (2010). Lithium induces mortality in medulloblastoma cell lines. International Journal of Oncology, 37, 745-752. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo_00000724
MLA
Ronchi, A., Salaroli, R., Rivetti, S., Della Bella, E., Di Tomaso, T., Voltattorni, M., Cammelli, S., Ceccarelli, C., Giangaspero, F., Barbieri, E., Cenacchi, G."Lithium induces mortality in medulloblastoma cell lines". International Journal of Oncology 37.3 (2010): 745-752.
Chicago
Ronchi, A., Salaroli, R., Rivetti, S., Della Bella, E., Di Tomaso, T., Voltattorni, M., Cammelli, S., Ceccarelli, C., Giangaspero, F., Barbieri, E., Cenacchi, G."Lithium induces mortality in medulloblastoma cell lines". International Journal of Oncology 37, no. 3 (2010): 745-752. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo_00000724