Engineering Inorganic Nanoparticles to Induce Cuproptosis: A New Strategy for Cancer Therapy

作者：Zhenxing Jiang, Jianwei Dai, Juanjuan Jiang, Shenghe Deng, Junnan Gu, Jun Wang, Mian Chen, Wentai Cai, Ke Wu, Kaixiong Tao, Ke Liu, Kailin Cai · 发表于：Pharmaceutics · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3390/pharmaceutics17111383 · 被引用次数：1 · 研究领域：Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics、Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery、Advanced Nanomaterials in Catalysis

Cuproptosis is a newly identified type of copper (Cu)-dependent programmed cell death (PCD), triggered when Cu directly interacts with the lipoylated components of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and it has shown significant antitumor potential. However, challenges such as insufficient Cu accumulation in tumor cells, systemic toxicity, and the lack of specific carriers for effectively inducing cuproptosis hinder its practical application. Inorganic nanoparticles (INPs) present a promising solution due to their unique ability to target specific areas, potential for multifunctional modification, and controlled release capabilities. Their distinctive physicochemical properties also enable the integration of synergistic multimodal cancer therapies. Therefore, utilizing INPs to induce cuproptosis represents a promising strategy for cancer treatment. This review systematically elucidates the regulatory mechanisms of Cu homeostasis and the molecular pathways underlying cuproptosis, thoroughly discusses current INP-based strategies designed to trigger cuproptosis, and comprehensively examines the multi-modal synergistic antitumor mechanisms based on cuproptosis. Finally, we also address the current challenges and future perspectives in developing clinically applicable nanoplatforms aimed at harnessing cuproptosis for effective cancer therapy.