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Overview of the Zinc Functional Interactome Through Health Hallmarks and Medical Conditions
Mirela Pavić Vulinović1, Vedran Micek2, Davorka Breljak3
1Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Nutrients
|January 28, 2026
Summary
Zinc is vital for biological functions, impacting health and disease. Integrating fragmented research using AI can reveal its complex roles in maintaining homeostasis and promoting healthspan.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Human Nutrition
- Systems Biology
Background:
- Zinc is an essential micronutrient with diverse roles in biological systems.
- Current zinc research is fragmented, hindering a holistic understanding of its functions and interactions.
- Synergistic interactions between zinc and other micronutrients are poorly integrated across research domains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To consolidate fragmented zinc literature using an integrative approach.
- To highlight zinc's pleiotropic effects on physiological resilience and healthspan.
- To contextualize zinc's role within the framework of health maintenance and disease prevention.
Main Methods:
- Narrative review synthesizing current knowledge across molecular, cellular, and systems biology.
- Examination of zinc's involvement in cellular maintenance, metabolic regulation, and stress response.
- Analysis of how zinc status disruptions contribute to clinical disorders.
Main Results:
- Zinc plays critical roles in cellular maintenance, metabolic regulation, and stress response.
- Disruptions in zinc status, alone or with other nutrient imbalances, are linked to various disorders.
- An integrative perspective reveals zinc's broad impact on physiological resilience and healthspan.
Conclusions:
- Zinc's multifaceted roles are crucial for maintaining homeostasis and promoting overall health.
- An integrated understanding of zinc and its interactions is essential for addressing health and disease.
- Leveraging AI can facilitate multi-scale analyses of zinc-dependent processes and the zinc interactome.
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