Copper-Based Nanozymes for Tumor Therapy: Structural Design and Combination Strategies

Copper-based nanozymes (CuNZs), a unique class of functional nanomaterials, have gradually become an important research direction in cancer therapy due to their unique structure and tunable catalytic properties in redox reactions. CuNZs can mimic diverse nature enzymes, such as oxidase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase, which enables them to efficiently regulate the generation of ROS in the tumor microenvironment (TME), thereby showing significant therapeutic potential in inhibiting tumor progression. This review summarizes the various enzymatic activities of CuNZs and their applications in cancer treatment, exploring the influence of factors such as size, morphology, valence state, and surface modification on their catalytic performance. Optimizing the design and regulation of CuNZs will help improve their efficacy and selectivity in cancer therapy, overcoming resistance and side effects associated with traditional treatments. In the future, the application of CuNZs in multimodal combination therapy may offer more effective and precise solutions for cancer treatment.