Copper in cancer: from limiting nutrient to therapeutic target

Xiaolong Tang; Zaihua Yan; Yandong Miao; Wuhua Ha; Zheng Li; Lixia Yang; Denghai Mi

doi:10.3389/fonc.2023.1209156

Copper in cancer: from limiting nutrient to therapeutic target

Front Oncol. 2023 Jun 23:13:1209156. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1209156. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Xiaolong Tang^{1

2}, Zaihua Yan^{1

2}, Yandong Miao³, Wuhua Ha¹, Zheng Li⁴, Lixia Yang⁵, Denghai Mi^{1

5}

Affiliations

¹ The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China.
² The Second Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, China.
³ Department of Oncology, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, The Second Clinical Medical College of Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, China.
⁴ Division of Thoracic Tumor Multimodality Treatment and Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
⁵ Gansu Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, Gansu, China.

Abstract

As an essential nutrient, copper's redox properties are both beneficial and toxic to cells. Therefore, leveraging the characteristics of copper-dependent diseases or using copper toxicity to treat copper-sensitive diseases may offer new strategies for specific disease treatments. In particular, copper concentration is typically higher in cancer cells, making copper a critical limiting nutrient for cancer cell growth and proliferation. Hence, intervening in copper metabolism specific to cancer cells may become a potential tumor treatment strategy, directly impacting tumor growth and metastasis. In this review, we discuss the metabolism of copper in the body and summarize research progress on the role of copper in promoting tumor cell growth or inducing programmed cell death in tumor cells. Additionally, we elucidate the role of copper-related drugs in cancer treatment, intending to provide new perspectives for cancer treatment.

Keywords: Cu chelators; Cu ionophores; anticancer; copper metabolism; potential drugs.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Special Plan for Condition Construction of [Gansu Provincial Scientific Research Institutes] (Grants No. 20JR10RA432) and Research Development Fund project of North Sichuan Medical College of [Department of Science and Technology, North Sichuan Medical College] (Grants No. CBY22-QNA12).