Mechanism of action of cuproptosis and prospects for anti-tumor therapy.

Abstract

In the study published in the World Journal of Clinical Cases by Xu et al, the expression profiles of cuproptosis-related genes in esophageal cancer and their prognostic significance were investigated. Cuproptosis, a novel form of copper-dependent cell death, has garnered significant attention in cancer research due to its mechanism closely linked to mitochondrial metabolism and protein lipoylation. This research systematically analyzed the prognostic value of cuproptosis-related genes by integrating multi-omics data from 151 esophageal cancer and normal tissue samples. The study identified pyruvate dehydrogenase A1 (PDHA1) as an independent prognostic marker for esophageal cancer. Patients with high PDHA1 expression exhibited significantly lower overall survival rates. Functional enrichment analysis further revealed that cuproptosis drives tumor progression by regulating mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle activity and metabolic reprogramming of glucose metabolism. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs), RNA molecules exceeding 200 nucleotides that do not encode proteins, have been extensively examined in this context. In specific tumor types, certain LncRNAs play a role in regulating cuproptosis by influencing copper ion metabolism, transport, and associated signaling pathways. These LncRNAs may interact with pivotal genes involved in cuproptosis, modulating their expression levels and participating in the regulation of this process. Current research has concentrated on the correlation between cuproptosis-linked LncRNAs and diverse cancers. A comprehensive investigation into the connections among LncRNAs, cuproptosis-related genes, pathways, and their impact on tumor drug resistance holds promise for precise cancer treatment and prognosis assessment.