Zinc and Copper Metabolism, Deficiency, and Cellular Signaling
This research community investigates the biological roles of zinc and copper, ranging from dietary intake and nutritional status to their molecular functions in cell death, disease mechanisms, and therapeutic targets.
The work centers on measuring serum levels, assessing deficiency, and studying supplementation strategies in human populations and animal models, particularly broiler chickens. A significant portion of the literature examines the interplay between these metals and oxidative stress, with specific focus on conditions like Wilson disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. Recent research increasingly explores "cuproptosis," a copper-triggered form of cell death, and its implications for cancer treatment and drug resistance. The community also investigates zinc transporters, zinc finger proteins, and the broader homeostasis of trace elements, frequently employing systematic meta-analyses to synthesize findings on dietary zinc and copper ions.
The community is most heavily concentrated in zinc research, accounting for 4.3% of all tracked zinc papers, and copper research, representing 3.4% of all tracked copper papers. Zinc also contributes the highest absolute number of papers within this group, with 11,424 entries.
The community comprises 25,274 papers, with the most frequent publication venues being Biological Trace Element Research, The Journal of Nutrition, and the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Recent work continues to focus on the therapeutic potential of cuproptosis in cancer and inflammatory diseases, alongside studies on zinc bioavailability through peptide complexes and the role of copper in neurodegenerative conditions.