铜是过渡金属，作为许多酶活性位点的必需辅因子，在人体中是一种重要的微量元素，在能量代谢、抗氧化、凝血、神经递质合成、铁代谢和四聚体沉积等重要的生命维持活动中发挥作用。在生物系统中维持铜离子的平衡对于预防动脉粥样硬化和相关心血管疾病至关重要。铜通过多种机制诱导细胞死亡，包括活性氧物质反应、凋亡、坏死、火烧死和线粒体功能异常。近期研究确定并命名了一种新的调控性细胞死亡方式——"cuprotosis"。在这种方式中，铜离子与线粒体呼吸三羧酸循环中的酰化蛋白结合，导致蛋白质聚集，进而下调铁硫簇蛋白的表达，诱导蛋白质毒性应激并最终导致细胞死亡。学者们通过将铜离子与不同配体结合合成了铜配合物，并探索了它们在癌症治疗中的重要性和应用。本综述全面研究了铜代谢的多个途径、铜诱导的调控性细胞死亡以及铜配合物在癌症治疗中的最新进展。版权© 2023 高和张。

Copper, a transition metal, serves as an essential co-factor in numerous enzymatic active sites and constitutes a vital trace element in the human body, participating in crucial life-sustaining activities such as energy metabolism, antioxidation, coagulation, neurotransmitter synthesis, iron metabolism, and tetramer deposition. Maintaining the equilibrium of copper ions within biological systems is of paramount importance in the prevention of atherosclerosis and associated cardiovascular diseases. Copper induces cellular demise through diverse mechanisms, encompassing reactive oxygen species responses, apoptosis, necrosis, pyroptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Recent research has identified and dubbed a novel regulatory cell death modality-"cuprotosis"-wherein copper ions bind to acylated proteins in the tricarboxylic acid cycle of mitochondrial respiration, resulting in protein aggregation, subsequent downregulation of iron-sulfur cluster protein expression, induction of proteotoxic stress, and eventual cell death. Scholars have synthesized copper complexes by combining copper ions with various ligands, exploring their significance and applications in cancer therapy. This review comprehensively examines the multiple pathways of copper metabolism, copper-induced regulatory cell death, and the current status of copper complexes in cancer treatment.Copyright © 2023 Gao and Zhang.