AUTHOR=Zhou Cheng , Yang Jinqiu , Liu Tong , Jia Ran , Yang Lin , Sun Pengfei , Zhao Wenxia 

TITLE=Copper metabolism and hepatocellular carcinoma: current insights

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2023.1186659

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2023.1186659

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<p>Copper is an essential trace element that acts as a cofactor in various enzyme active sites in the human body. It participates in numerous life activities, including lipid metabolism, energy metabolism, and neurotransmitter synthesis. The proposal of “Cuproptosis” has made copper metabolism-related pathways a research hotspot in the field of tumor therapy, which has attracted great attention. This review discusses the biological processes of copper uptake, transport, and storage in human cells. It highlights the mechanisms by which copper metabolism affects hepatocellular carcinogenesis and metastasis, including autophagy, apoptosis, vascular invasion, cuproptosis, and ferroptosis. Additionally, it summarizes the current clinical applications of copper metabolism-related drugs in antitumor therapy.</p>