Trace Elements and Tumor: Research Progress

© 2025 by the Authors. Licensee Whioce Publishing, Singapore. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )

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Abstract

This review systematically summarizes the core advances in the field of trace elements and tumors, and clarifies the dual roles of key elements such as Zn, Cu, Fe, Se, Mn, and Ni in tumorigenesis (e.g., DNA damage repair), tumor progression (e.g., tumor microenvironment regulation), and therapeutic response—these elements not only possess tumor-suppressive potential but can also contribute to tumorigenesis. Meanwhile, it confirms the breakthrough value of multi-omics technologies and organoid models in deciphering the “element-cell-tumor” interaction mechanisms, which overcomes the limitations of traditional in vitro experiments and also points out the core directions for subsequent clinical research.

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