Copper and Cancer

Starving the beast

11/24/2015

You are subscribed to News - All NSF News for National Science Foundation Update. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Starving the beast 11/24/2015 10:41 AM EST As any good Star Trek fan knows, Mr. Spock was a "green-blooded Vulcan" because his hemoglobin was copper-based, unlike our iron-based human cells. But even humans have a little bit of copper in their blood. Now, a new paper based on research funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) explores the role copper can play in feeding -- or starving -- cancer. For the past 20-30 years, researchers have known tumor cells need nutrients to grow, and copper was a favorite. But ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=137015&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click