Inhibition of Calcium-Dependent Lipid Droplets Relocation of ACSL4-PKCβ-ALOX15 Complex Alleviates Ferroptosis and Acute Pancreatitis

  • Adv Sci (Weinh). 2026 Apr;13(19):e15768. doi: 10.1002/advs.202515768.
Guoyuan Hou  1 Jing Luan  1 Xiaoyong Xu  2 Jianhua Qin  1 Shuang Ma  1 Jiyuan He  1 Na Sun  1 Wei Zhang  3 Minghui Gao  1
Affiliations
  • 1. The HIT Center for Life Sciences School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
  • 2. Hangzhou HuaAn Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
  • 3. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
Abstract

Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of programmed cell death driven by toxic lipid peroxide accumulation, plays a critical role in various diseases, making its modulation a promising therapeutic strategy. In this study, we identified several L-type calcium channel blockers as novel inhibitors of Ferroptosis. We further elucidated that calcium-dependent activation of PKCβ drives Ferroptosis by phosphorylating two key Enzymes, ACSL4 and ALOX15, at multiple sites. We generated phosphorylation-specific antibodies targeting these sites and confirmed their specificity in the context of Ferroptosis. Furthermore, upon induction of Ferroptosis, the ACSL4-PKCβ-ALOX15 complex relocates to lipid droplets, highlighting a critical role of lipid droplets in Ferroptosis. Notably, elevated PKCβ levels enhance the efficacy of ferroptosis-inducing Cancer therapies, while inhibition of the CA2 +-PKCβ signaling pathway protects against acute pancreatitis by suppressing Ferroptosis. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of targeting CA2 +-PKCβ-mediated Ferroptosis, offering new avenues for the treatment of Cancer and acute pancreatitis.

Keywords
ACSL4; ALOX15; PKCβ; acute pancreatitis; calcium; ferroptosis; lipid droplets.
Products
Inhibitors & Agonists
Other Products