A Surprise Player in Cell Signaling: The Role of Copper

In the world of cell signaling, proteins act like a complex network of messengers, passing information to control everything from immune responses to cell growth. Our research, published in Cell Cycle, reveals a surprising new player in this network: copper.

The paper, "Copper is a potent inhibitor of both the canonical and non-canonical NFKB pathways," addresses a long-standing debate in the scientific community about whether copper activates or inhibits key cellular pathways. Our work provides a clear answer.

We found that when we increased the levels of intracellular copper using a special compound called an ionophore, it led to a powerful suppression of two major signaling pathways, known as the NF-κB pathways. These pathways are critical for regulating genes involved in immunity, inflammation, and cancer.

We discovered that the copper's inhibitory effect is a result of its oxidative properties. It works by blocking a key step in the signaling process, preventing the degradation of a protein called IκBα. This protein acts like a cage, keeping the NF-κB messengers locked away in the cytoplasm and preventing them from traveling to the cell's nucleus to turn on gene expression.

This is a significant finding because it clarifies the role of copper in cellular communication and suggests that high levels of copper can be used as a therapeutic strategy in diseases where NF-κB is overactive, such as certain cancers.

For more information, please see the full publication here.