Cuproptosis-driven nanostrategies: Synergistic nanoplatforms for tumor microenvironment reprogramming and enhanced anticancer efficacy

Cuproptosis, a novel copper-dependent regulated cell death mechanism, represents a paradigm shift in oncology by exploiting unique copper dyshomeostasis mechanisms to combat intractable malignancies. While cuproptosis-based therapies hold transformative potential for diverse cancers, their clinical...

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Main Authors: Haipeng Cheng, Lin Zhao, Jing Cai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Materials Today Bio
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590006425004545
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author Haipeng Cheng
Lin Zhao
Jing Cai
author_facet Haipeng Cheng
Lin Zhao
Jing Cai
author_sort Haipeng Cheng
collection DOAJ
description Cuproptosis, a novel copper-dependent regulated cell death mechanism, represents a paradigm shift in oncology by exploiting unique copper dyshomeostasis mechanisms to combat intractable malignancies. While cuproptosis-based therapies hold transformative potential for diverse cancers, their clinical translation is hindered by inherent limitations, including suboptimal immunostimulatory efficacy, insufficient tumor specificity, and immunosuppressive crosstalk within the tumor microenvironment. Recent breakthroughs in nanotechnology have unlocked revolutionary strategies to address these challenges, with copper-based nanotherapeutic systems emerging as precision tools to amplify cuproptosis efficacy. Engineered nanosystems circumvent critical barriers of conventional small-molecule drugs, such as off-target toxicity and pharmacokinetic instability, by enabling spatiotemporal control of copper delivery, microenvironment remodeling, and synergistic activation of cell death cascades. This review systematically examines cutting-edge advances in nanomaterial design for potentiating cuproptosis, emphasizing three transformative frontiers: (1) combinatorial cell death modalities integrating cuproptosis with apoptosis, ferroptosis, or pyroptosis for amplified therapeutic cascades; (2) multimodal nanoplatforms coupling cuproptosis inducers with various treatment modalities to overcome resistance; and (3) precision-targeted delivery systems utilizing ligand/receptor engineering and stimuli-responsive materials for tumor-selective copper overload. Finally, further mechanistic insights into nanomaterial-triggered cuproptosis and its immunomodulatory consequences within tumor niches are critically evaluated.
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spelling doaj-art-01f00b5bc7d54a63b0abc49f1f71876f2025-08-20T03:08:59ZengElsevierMaterials Today Bio2590-00642025-06-013210189410.1016/j.mtbio.2025.101894Cuproptosis-driven nanostrategies: Synergistic nanoplatforms for tumor microenvironment reprogramming and enhanced anticancer efficacyHaipeng Cheng0Lin Zhao1Jing Cai2Department of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China; Hunan Clinical Medical Research Center for Cancer Pathogenic Genes Testing and Diagnosis, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, ChinaDepartment of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China; Hunan Clinical Medical Research Center for Cancer Pathogenic Genes Testing and Diagnosis, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, ChinaDepartment of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China; Hunan Clinical Medical Research Center for Cancer Pathogenic Genes Testing and Diagnosis, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China; Corresponding author. Department of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China.Cuproptosis, a novel copper-dependent regulated cell death mechanism, represents a paradigm shift in oncology by exploiting unique copper dyshomeostasis mechanisms to combat intractable malignancies. While cuproptosis-based therapies hold transformative potential for diverse cancers, their clinical translation is hindered by inherent limitations, including suboptimal immunostimulatory efficacy, insufficient tumor specificity, and immunosuppressive crosstalk within the tumor microenvironment. Recent breakthroughs in nanotechnology have unlocked revolutionary strategies to address these challenges, with copper-based nanotherapeutic systems emerging as precision tools to amplify cuproptosis efficacy. Engineered nanosystems circumvent critical barriers of conventional small-molecule drugs, such as off-target toxicity and pharmacokinetic instability, by enabling spatiotemporal control of copper delivery, microenvironment remodeling, and synergistic activation of cell death cascades. This review systematically examines cutting-edge advances in nanomaterial design for potentiating cuproptosis, emphasizing three transformative frontiers: (1) combinatorial cell death modalities integrating cuproptosis with apoptosis, ferroptosis, or pyroptosis for amplified therapeutic cascades; (2) multimodal nanoplatforms coupling cuproptosis inducers with various treatment modalities to overcome resistance; and (3) precision-targeted delivery systems utilizing ligand/receptor engineering and stimuli-responsive materials for tumor-selective copper overload. Finally, further mechanistic insights into nanomaterial-triggered cuproptosis and its immunomodulatory consequences within tumor niches are critically evaluated.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590006425004545CuproptosisNanomaterialsTumor immunologySynergistic therapyTargeted release
spellingShingle Haipeng Cheng
Lin Zhao
Jing Cai
Cuproptosis-driven nanostrategies: Synergistic nanoplatforms for tumor microenvironment reprogramming and enhanced anticancer efficacy
Materials Today Bio
Cuproptosis
Nanomaterials
Tumor immunology
Synergistic therapy
Targeted release
title Cuproptosis-driven nanostrategies: Synergistic nanoplatforms for tumor microenvironment reprogramming and enhanced anticancer efficacy
title_full Cuproptosis-driven nanostrategies: Synergistic nanoplatforms for tumor microenvironment reprogramming and enhanced anticancer efficacy
title_fullStr Cuproptosis-driven nanostrategies: Synergistic nanoplatforms for tumor microenvironment reprogramming and enhanced anticancer efficacy
title_full_unstemmed Cuproptosis-driven nanostrategies: Synergistic nanoplatforms for tumor microenvironment reprogramming and enhanced anticancer efficacy
title_short Cuproptosis-driven nanostrategies: Synergistic nanoplatforms for tumor microenvironment reprogramming and enhanced anticancer efficacy
title_sort cuproptosis driven nanostrategies synergistic nanoplatforms for tumor microenvironment reprogramming and enhanced anticancer efficacy
topic Cuproptosis
Nanomaterials
Tumor immunology
Synergistic therapy
Targeted release
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590006425004545
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AT linzhao cuproptosisdrivennanostrategiessynergisticnanoplatformsfortumormicroenvironmentreprogrammingandenhancedanticancerefficacy
AT jingcai cuproptosisdrivennanostrategiessynergisticnanoplatformsfortumormicroenvironmentreprogrammingandenhancedanticancerefficacy