Zhou, H. & Huang, S. Role of mTOR signaling in tumor cell motility, invasion and metastasis. Curr. Protein Pept. Sci. 12, 30–42 (2011). Brewer, G. J. & Merajver, S. D. Cancer therapy with tetrathiomolybdate: antiangiogenesis by lowering body copper—a review. Integr. Cancer Ther. 1, 327–337 (2002). Kim, K. I. et al. Detection of increased 64Cu uptake by human copper transporter 1 gene overexpression using PET with 64CuCl2 in human breast cancer xenograft model. J. Nucl. Med. 55, 1692–1698 (2014).

Brady, D. C. et al. Copper is required for oncogenic BRAF signalling and tumorigenesis. Nature 509, 492–496 (2014). The recommended daily intake for individuals above the age of 19 is around 2 mg per day. A copper supplement is a convenient way of hitting the mark every time, and, since there is such a thing as ‘too much’ copper, a dose controlled supplement is arguably the safest way to manage one’s copper levels. Department of Microchemistry and Proteomics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA Complexes involving multidentate ligands are more stable than those with only unidentate ligands in them. Source Naturals brand of copper sebacate is a strong fighter against premature greying of hair. Many users happily report noticeable differences in melanin levels within the first month of usage.Purity: Copper supplements should be made from pure, high-quality ingredients to ensure safety and effectiveness. Look for supplements that have been tested by a third-party organization and are certified to be free of contaminants and other impurities. There are a few major concerns associated with copper supplements. The first is the aforementioned risk of depleted zinc and Vitamin C levels as a result of too high copper intake. While this risk is one that can be easily managed with the right monitoring, it often requires time and effort before balance can be properly achieved. The additional cost of testing zinc and Vitamin C levels in comparison to copper is something that also needs to be accounted for. Tsang, T. et al. Copper is an essential regulator of the autophagic kinases ULK1/2 to drive lung adenocarcinoma. Nat. Cell Biol. 22, 412–424 (2020).

Bagheri S, et al. (2017). Role of copper in the onset of Alzheimer's disease compared to other metals. Fig. 1 (A) Scheme highlighting mechanisms that can increase intracellular Cu ion levels. Exposure to external agents and mis-folded peptides can cause increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leading to oxidative stress. Increased oxidative stress leads to protein oxidation releasing Cu ions from proteins and also reduces levels of glutathione (GSH) bound Cu +. Mutations in Cu ion transporters lead to elevated intracellular Cu ion levels. (B) Cu +/Cu 2+ catalyzed Fenton reaction produces reactive hydroxyl radicals, HO˙. Cu 2+ is reduced by cellular reductants like superoxide (O 2˙ −) and hydroascorbate (AscH −) to complete the catalytic cycle. (C) Proposed cell-permeable Cu 2+ chelators that alleviate oxidative stress via selective Cu 2+ chelation.Fortunately, copper supplements can be a last resort when attempting to increase copper levels in the body. There are other measures one can take before turning to supplements, namely diet and copper infused water.

Lutsenko, S. Human copper homeostasis: a network of interconnected pathways. Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol. 14, 211–217 (2010).Ramchandani, D. et al. Nanoparticle delivery of miR-708 mimetic impairs breast cancer metastasis. Mol. Cancer Ther. 18, 579–591 (2019). For anyone living with Menkes disease, a copper supplement is more than just a supplement; it’s a lifeline. Glasauer, A., Sena, L. A., Diebold, L. P., Mazar, A. P. & Chandel, N. S. Targeting SOD1 reduces experimental non-small-cell lung cancer. J. Clin. Investig. 124, 117–128 (2014). Mikalsen SM, et al. (2020). Essential trace elements in Norwegian obese patients before and 12 months after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery: Copper, manganese, selenium and zinc.