Copper as the Target for Anticancer Nanomedicine

Abstract Microelements such as copper are essential and involved in various biological processes and under strict homeostatic regulation. Compared to healthy individuals, cancer patients have aberrantly elevated intratumoral and systemic copper levels, which promote tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, tumor metastasis, and recurrence of diverse human cancers. Two copper‐based anticancer strategies—copper depletion therapy and copper‐based cytotoxin—have been developed for the treatment of cancers. In this review, the authors summarize the roles of copper related to cancer progression and provide the recent therapeutic advances using the copper‐based anticancer strategies and copper‐based nanomedicines. The authors also present their perspectives for further developing antitumor copper‐targeting nanomedicines for enhanced therapeutics and mitigated side effects.