Chaperone-Derived Copper(I)-Binding Peptide Nanofibers Disrupt Copper Homeostasis in Cancer Cells.

ABSTRACT: Copper (Cu) is a transition metal that plays crucial roles in cellular metabolism. Cu⁺ homeostasis is upregulated in many cancers and contributes to tumorigenesis. However, therapeutic strategies to target Cu⁺ homeostasis in cancer cells are rarely explored because small molecule Cu⁺ chelators have poor binding affinity in comparison to the intracellular Cu⁺ chaperones, enzymes, or ligands. To address this challenge, we introduce a Cu⁺ chaperone-inspired supramolecular approach to disrupt Cu⁺ homeostasis in cancer cells that induces programmed cell death. The Nap-FFMTCGGCR peptide self-assembles into nanofibers inside cancer cells with high binding affinity and selectivity for Cu⁺ due to the presence of the unique

SUBMITTER: Jeena MT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11627128 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature