Study sheds light on copper's role in driving kidney cancer
UC research featured on MSN
MSN highlighted a new University of Cincinnati study published in the journal Cancer Discovery that details how the accumulation of copper helps clear cell renal cell carcinoma grow and advance in stage.
The Cancer Center’s Maria Czyzyk-Krzeska, MD, PhD, lead author of the research, said that increased accumulation of copper is associated with worse outcomes for patients with ccRCC. Using a multidisciplinary approach, Czyzyk-Krzeska and her colleagues established that ccRCC cells accumulate more copper as they advance from stage 1 toward metastatic disease.
The team found high copper levels help cancer cells make more of a special enzyme that boosts their energy and growth. At the same time, sugar (glucose) helps create a protective molecule called glutathione. This molecule clears out toxins and reduces the harmful effects of copper, giving cancer cells an extra survival boost.
“In other words, copper induces an orchestrated, multilevel adaptation of cancer cells that promotes tumor growth,” said Czyzyk-Krzeska, professor in the Department of Cancer Biology in UC’s College of Medicine. “It causes a change in the cell’s metabolic state.”
Read the original UC News story.
Featured photo at top of periodic table highlighting copper. Photo/HT Ganzo/iStock.
Related Stories
How to build strength without lifting weights
January 16, 2026
Lifting weights isn't the only way to build strength and muscle. Experts, including the University of Cincinnati's Christopher Kotarsky, say body-weight exercises can go a long way and are a great way to get started for someone who doesn't feel like going to the gym.
Dual purpose
January 16, 2026
University of Cincinnati’s College and Career Tracks guide high school students through dual enrollment and College Credit Plus pathways. Students earn transferable college credits, explore careers in allied health and other fields, gain early college experience and improve college readiness while reducing future tuition costs.
UC awarded $1.1 million grant to tailor AI use in medical education
January 16, 2026
The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine has been selected as a recipient of a $1.1 million American Medical Association (AMA) Transforming Lifelong Learning Through Precision Education grant.