Copper in cancer: friend or foe? Metabolism, dysregulation, and therapeutic opportunities

作者：Dan Shan, Song Jinling, Yuqing Ren, Yuyuan Zhang, Yuhao Ba, Peng Luo, Quan Cheng, Hui Xu, Siyuan Weng, Anning Zuo, Shutong Liu, Xinwei Han, Jinhai Deng, Zaoqu Liu · 发表于：癌症：英文版 · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1002/cac2.70005 · 被引用次数：39 · 研究领域：Trace Elements in Health、Drug Transport and Resistance Mechanisms、Metal complexes synthesis and properties

Abstract Copper, one of the essential nutrients for the human body, acts as an electron relay in multiple pathways due to its redox properties. Both deficiencies and excesses of copper lead to cellular fragility. Therefore, it can manifest pro‐ and anti‐cancer properties in tumors. Therefore, it is crucial to clarify the copper activity within the cell. We have thoughtfully summarized the metabolic activities of copper from a macro and micro perspective. Cuproptosis, as well as other forms of cell death, is directly or indirectly interfered with by Cu 2+ , causing cancer cell death. Meanwhile, we did pan‐cancer analysis of cuproptosis‐related genes to further clarify the roles of these genes. In addition, copper has been found to be involved in multiple pathways within the metastasis of cancer cells. Given the complexity of copper's role, we are compelled to ask: is copper a friend or a foe? Up to now, copper has been used in various clinical applications, including protocols for measurement of copper concentration and bioimaging of radioactive 64 Cu. But therapeutically it is still a continuation of the old medicine, and new possibilities need to be explored, such as the use of nanomaterials. Some studies have also shown that copper has considerable interventional power in metabolic cancers, which provides the great applications potential of copper therapy in specific cancer types. This paper reviews the dual roles played by cuproptosis in cancer from the new perspectives of...