REVIEW article
Front. Mol. Biosci.
Sec. Molecular Diagnostics and Therapeutics
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmolb.2025.1578693
Copper Metabolism in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapeutic Opportunities
Provisionally accepted
- Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
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Copper is a vital trace metal that facilitates cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and tumour spread. The liver is essential for copper metabolism, hence regulating copper levels is crucial for hepatic health. Hepatocellular carcinoma is a primary liver cancer characterised by a high death rate, and extensive research has shown the substantial impact of copper on its progression. This research primarily examines the molecular mechanisms involved, summarises the regulation of copper homeostasis, and addresses the role of copper metabolism in the promotion and inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma development. Furthermore, it investigates prospective clinical approaches for targeting copper in the treatment of this disease, intending to establish a theoretical basis for the clinical use of copper in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Keywords: Copper, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, copper homeostasis, Copper metabolism, cancer therapy
Received: 19 Feb 2025; Accepted: 17 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Pang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ziling Pang, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
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