The Cancer Metallome Continuum: A Framework for Understanding Metal Dysregulation from Carcinogenesis to Therapeutic Resistance

Clicks: 17
ID: 318870
2026
Free PDF
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal
Emerging

Ranked #51 of 60 articles by views in metallomics : integrated biometal science

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Sign in to mint
Abstract
Abstract Metals and metalloids play essential roles in cancer biology, influencing redox balance, epigenetic regulation, immune responses, and cell death throughout tumour development, progression, and resistance to therapy. Despite this broad biological relevance, the systematic clinical integration of metallomics into oncology remains in its early stages. This review introduces the Cancer Metallome Continuum (CMC), a framework illustrating how metallomic reprogramming evolves from cancer initiation through progression to therapy-resistant states, and evaluates the analytical, systems-level, and translational approaches needed to test it. In early stages of cancer, toxic metals such as As, Cd, hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)], and Ni induce oxidative stress, epigenetic modifications, and DNA repair defects. During progression, dyshomeostasis of essential metals creates tumour-specific dependencies. For example, Fe accumulation can support tumour growth, while tumour cells concurrently engage anti-ferroptotic programs; Cu contributes to angiogenesis and kinase signalling, and Zn transporter networks regulate apoptosis and immune responses. Under treatment pressure, tumours adapt by rewiring metal transporters, upregulating metallothionein buffering, and suppressing metal-dependent cell death pathways, including ferroptosis and cuproptosis. Translational advances include selenium-based prognostic panels with replicated evidence in breast cancer (SCAN-B) and colorectal cancer (CORSA), Cu-chelation trials, and spatially resolved metallodrug imaging. The strongest human evidence currently supports Se-based prognostic panels (replicated across breast and colorectal cancer cohorts) and the feasibility of biomarker-guided Cu depletion (a Phase II single-arm trial), while spatial integration and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) applications remain at the proof-of-concept or emerging stages. Clinical translation will require tighter control of preanalytical variability, prospective multicentre validation, and standardized reporting.
Reference Key
openalex_W7166065796 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors M. Mokhtar, M. Mokhtar, Jassy Salim, Lobna Abdelsalam, Rahma Wael Soliman, Shrouk Khaled Mohamed, Ramez Tharwat, Anwar Abdelnaser
Journal metallomics : integrated biometal science
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/mtomcs/mfag024
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/mtomcs/mfag024
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.