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

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Nanotechnology
• Oncology

Background:

• Cuproptosis is a novel copper-dependent programmed cell death (PCD) pathway with significant antitumor potential.
• Challenges in clinical cuproptosis application include poor copper accumulation, systemic toxicity, and lack of targeted delivery systems.
• Inorganic nanoparticles (INPs) offer solutions for targeted delivery, controlled release, and multimodal cancer therapy integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review copper homeostasis and cuproptosis molecular mechanisms.
• To discuss current INP-based strategies for inducing cuproptosis.
• To examine synergistic antitumor mechanisms leveraging cuproptosis and INPs.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of literature on cuproptosis and INP applications in cancer.
• Analysis of copper homeostasis and cuproptosis regulatory pathways.
• Evaluation of INP-based strategies for cuproptosis induction and multimodal therapy.

Main Results:

• Cuproptosis is triggered by direct copper interaction with tricarboxylic acid cycle components.
• INPs can enhance copper accumulation and enable targeted cuproptosis induction.
• Combining INPs with cuproptosis offers synergistic multimodal antitumor effects.

Conclusions:

• INP-mediated cuproptosis is a promising strategy for cancer treatment.
• Further development of clinically applicable nanoplatforms is crucial for harnessing cuproptosis.
• Addressing challenges in copper delivery and toxicity is key for therapeutic success.