Research Progress on Mechanism of Chinese Medicine Intervention on Cuprotosis Induced Apoptosis of Tumor Cells

In the current field of cancer treatment, the search for new therapeutic targets and methods remains a focal area of research. Traditional Chinese medicine contains a variety of pharmacologically active components that interact with multiple targets and signaling pathways in the human body, demonstrating potential anti-tumor effects. Copper plays a crucial role in various physiological processes; its homeostasis is tightly regulated to limit the production of oxidative stress and toxicity, and it intervenes in the processes of tumor development, metastasis, and recurrence. Cuproptosis represents a novel form of copper-dependent cell death that differs from previously known regulatory cell death mechanisms, offering a fresh perspective on the link between copper homeostasis and mitochondrial metabolism. Targeting copper has emerged as a new anti-cancer strategy. Current research on the intervention of cuproptosis by TCM is limited; leveraging the advantages of TCM's multi-target, multi-pathway approach could further elucidate the mechanisms of cuproptosis, bringing more possibilities to cancer treatment modalities.