Copper and Colorectal Cancer.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Cell Biology
• Oncology

Background:

• Minerals are essential dietary components, with copper being a crucial trace element.
• Copper plays vital roles in numerous physiological processes, including mitochondrial respiration, iron transport, and antioxidant defense.
• Disruptions in copper homeostasis are linked to diseases like Menkes and Wilson disease, and increasingly, to cancer development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the physiological and pathological roles of copper in human health.
• To emphasize copper's impact on colorectal cancer (CRC) development and metastasis.
• To explore copper-based therapeutic strategies for CRC, including targeting cuproptosis.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on copper metabolism, homeostasis, and its role in CRC.
• Analysis of copper's involvement in cell death pathways, specifically cuproptosis.
• Examination of therapeutic interventions targeting copper status in cancer treatment.

Main Results:

• Copper is essential for normal function but its dysregulation contributes to pathology.
• Cuproptosis, a copper-regulated cell death, inhibits tumor cell metabolism and malignant potential.
• Copper dyshomeostasis and cuproptosis are implicated in colorectal cancer progression.

Conclusions:

• Copper's dual role in health and disease makes it a significant factor in colorectal cancer.
• Targeting copper metabolism and cuproptosis offers a promising therapeutic avenue for colorectal cancer.
• Future research, potentially aided by AI, could accelerate the development of novel copper-targeted cancer therapies.