Cuproptosis and its potential role in musculoskeletal disease

Cuproptosis, a recently identified form of copper-dependent cell death, arises from intracellular copper dyshomeostasis. As an essential trace element, copper plays a critical role in bioenergetic metabolism, redox regulation, and synaptic transmission. However, excessive copper exerts cytotoxic eff...

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Main Authors: Ziyang Xiang, Huiling Mei, Honglin Wang, Xiaoyue Yao, Ji Rao, Wentao Zhang, Aoshuang Xu, Lin Lu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2025.1570131/full
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author Ziyang Xiang
Huiling Mei
Honglin Wang
Xiaoyue Yao
Ji Rao
Wentao Zhang
Aoshuang Xu
Lin Lu
author_facet Ziyang Xiang
Huiling Mei
Honglin Wang
Xiaoyue Yao
Ji Rao
Wentao Zhang
Aoshuang Xu
Lin Lu
author_sort Ziyang Xiang
collection DOAJ
description Cuproptosis, a recently identified form of copper-dependent cell death, arises from intracellular copper dyshomeostasis. As an essential trace element, copper plays a critical role in bioenergetic metabolism, redox regulation, and synaptic transmission. However, excessive copper exerts cytotoxic effects through multiple pathways, including increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, apoptotic cascade activation, necrotic membrane rupture, inflammatory responses, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Distinct from other cell death mechanisms, cuproptosis is characterized by copper ion binding to acetylated mitochondrial respiratory chain proteins, leading to pathogenic protein aggregation, iron-sulfur cluster depletion, and cellular collapse. Emerging evidence underscores aberrant copper accumulation and resultant proteotoxic stress as pivotal contributors to the pathogenesis of multiple musculoskeletal pathologies, including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, sarcopenia, osteosarcoma, intervertebral disc degeneration, spinal cord injury, and biofilm-associated orthopedic infections. Understanding the spatiotemporal regulation of cuproptosis may provide novel opportunities for advancing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in orthopedic medicine. This review synthesizes current insights into the molecular mechanisms of cuproptosis, its pathogenic role in musculoskeletal diseases, and the potential for biomarker-driven therapeutic interventions.
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publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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spelling doaj-art-8f3cfdba3a6e4ebe973c9af47ee7e91e2025-08-20T03:06:19ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology2296-634X2025-04-011310.3389/fcell.2025.15701311570131Cuproptosis and its potential role in musculoskeletal diseaseZiyang Xiang0Huiling Mei1Honglin Wang2Xiaoyue Yao3Ji Rao4Wentao Zhang5Aoshuang Xu6Lin Lu7Department of Orthopedics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, ChinaDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, ChinaDepartment of Orthopaedics Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, ChinaDepartment of Orthopedics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, ChinaDepartment of Orthopedics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, ChinaDepartment of Orthopedics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, ChinaInstitute of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, ChinaDepartment of Orthopedics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, ChinaCuproptosis, a recently identified form of copper-dependent cell death, arises from intracellular copper dyshomeostasis. As an essential trace element, copper plays a critical role in bioenergetic metabolism, redox regulation, and synaptic transmission. However, excessive copper exerts cytotoxic effects through multiple pathways, including increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, apoptotic cascade activation, necrotic membrane rupture, inflammatory responses, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Distinct from other cell death mechanisms, cuproptosis is characterized by copper ion binding to acetylated mitochondrial respiratory chain proteins, leading to pathogenic protein aggregation, iron-sulfur cluster depletion, and cellular collapse. Emerging evidence underscores aberrant copper accumulation and resultant proteotoxic stress as pivotal contributors to the pathogenesis of multiple musculoskeletal pathologies, including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, sarcopenia, osteosarcoma, intervertebral disc degeneration, spinal cord injury, and biofilm-associated orthopedic infections. Understanding the spatiotemporal regulation of cuproptosis may provide novel opportunities for advancing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in orthopedic medicine. This review synthesizes current insights into the molecular mechanisms of cuproptosis, its pathogenic role in musculoskeletal diseases, and the potential for biomarker-driven therapeutic interventions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2025.1570131/fullcuproptosisosteoporosisosteoarthritisosteosarcomaintervertebral disc degenerationspinal cord injury
spellingShingle Ziyang Xiang
Huiling Mei
Honglin Wang
Xiaoyue Yao
Ji Rao
Wentao Zhang
Aoshuang Xu
Lin Lu
Cuproptosis and its potential role in musculoskeletal disease
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
cuproptosis
osteoporosis
osteoarthritis
osteosarcoma
intervertebral disc degeneration
spinal cord injury
title Cuproptosis and its potential role in musculoskeletal disease
title_full Cuproptosis and its potential role in musculoskeletal disease
title_fullStr Cuproptosis and its potential role in musculoskeletal disease
title_full_unstemmed Cuproptosis and its potential role in musculoskeletal disease
title_short Cuproptosis and its potential role in musculoskeletal disease
title_sort cuproptosis and its potential role in musculoskeletal disease
topic cuproptosis
osteoporosis
osteoarthritis
osteosarcoma
intervertebral disc degeneration
spinal cord injury
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2025.1570131/full
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