摘要As the third essential trace element in the human body,copper plays a crucial role in various physiological processes,which lays the foundation for its broad applications in cancer treatments.The overview of copper,including pharmacokinetics,signaling pathways,and homeostasis dysregulation,is hereby discussed.Additionally,cuproptosis,as a newly proposed cell death mechanism associated with copper accumulation,is analyzed and further developed for efficient cancer treatment.Different forms of Cu-based nanoparticles and their advantages,as well as limiting factors,are introduced.Moreover,the unique characteristics of Cu-based nanoparticles give rise to their applications in various imaging modalities.In addition,Cu-based nanomaterials are featured by their excellent photothermal property and ROS-associated tumor-killing potential,which are widely explored in diverse cancer therapies and combined therapies.Reducing the concentration of Cu2+/Cu+is another cancer-killing method,and chelators can meet this need.More importantly,challenges and future prospects are identified for further research.