Understanding how copper causes cancer cell death
Official title: Mechanisms Promoting Copper Dependent Cell Death in Cancer
Funded at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NIH-11093599 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is exploring how copper can help kill cancer cells in a new way, which could lead to better treatments for people with cancer by understanding how it works in different types of the disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 8, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $648,408 |
| NIH project number | 7R01CA279550-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11093599 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients with various types of cancer who may benefit from novel therapeutic approaches targeting copper metabolism.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-cancerous conditions or those whose cancers do not respond to copper-based therapies may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how copper, an essential element, can lead to a new form of cell death in cancer cells, known as 'cuproptosis.' The study aims to clarify the mechanisms behind this process, particularly focusing on the roles of specific proteins and metabolic changes in different types of cancer. By employing advanced techniques such as genomic and proteomic analysis, the researchers hope to uncover how copper ionophores can be effectively used as cancer treatments. This could pave the way for new therapeutic strategies that leverage copper's unique properties to target cancer cells.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to innovative cancer therapies that specifically induce cell death in cancer cells while sparing healthy cells.
How similar studies have gone: While the concept of targeting copper in cancer treatment is emerging, this specific approach to understanding cuproptosis is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested in clinical settings.
Where this research is happening
-
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tsvetkov, Peter — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Tsvetkov, Peter
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.