Cu homeostasis disruptions in cancer cells triggered by innovative Cu(I) ionophores

Cu is an essential trace element for Human. As free Cu is highly detrimental, the cell develops homeostasis mechanisms to control Cu load. However, Cu homeostasis can be affected in pathologies such as in cancer where Cu increase has been observed. This prompts the need to understand the mechanisms underlying these phenomena, and to further develop anti-Cu therapeutic strategies. Recently, we developed innovative compounds that transport Cu(I) ions and we proved that they can kill cancer cells. To deepen our understanding of both Cu homeostasis in cancer cells and the mechanism of action of our compounds, we aim to study Cu subcellular distribution. To reach these objectives, we plan to perform X-ray fluorescence microscopy on healthy vs cancer cells in cryogenic conditions as well as on cancer cells exposed to a Cu-transporting compound with anticancer activity. These data will reveal the differences in Cu distribution in cancer cells and the pool(s) of Cu affected by our compounds.