Copper Coordination‐Based Nanomedicine for Tumor Theranostics

Abstract

Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient for a variety of basic biological processes, including cell metabolism, proliferation and angiogenesis. Recently, the concept of cuproptosis has been found to be related to the direct binding of Cu to the lipoylated components of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. This further demonstrates the important role of Cu and promotes Cu‐involved research for biomedical applications. Currently, targeting Cu has become a research hotspot for cancer therapy, and the development of Cu‐related nanomedicines is mainly based on Cu coordination chemistry. On one hand, chelating excess Cu in vivo to inhibit angiogenesis, on the other hand, supplementing Cu and Cu‐coordinated complexes to inhibit tumor growth by oxidative stress and proteasome inhibition. Based on the unique advantages of Cu‐coordinated nanoplatform, we describe the principles of Cu coordination chemistry, the biochemical functions of Cu ions, and provide a comprehensive review of Cu‐coordinated nanomedicine delivery, including Cu chelation and Cu supplementation, the delivery of Cu‐coordinated nanodrugs and Cu‐coordinated nanocarriers. Finally, the limitations are analyzed to point out the directions of improvement for future research. With the development of nanotechnology, we believe that the development of Cu‐coordinated nanomedicine will enter the fast track and show great promise in cancer theranostics.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Enhancing antibacterial properties by regulating valence configurations of copper: a focus on Cu-carboxyl chelates

“…In addition, copper ions in the human body mainly exist in low-valent forms, forming active centers with specific salts and proteins in covalent or non-covalent forms. 16,17 Carboxyl groups in organic molecules are crucial in regulating copper's stability and catalytic performance. 18,19 The presence of neighboring carboxylic acid enhances the peroxidase-like properties of metal-phenolic nano-networks, contributing to eradicating streptococcus mutans biofilms.…”