Evidence mapPaperPMID 38169461Full record

ReviewSignal transduction and targeted therapy2024

Cellular zinc metabolism and zinc signaling: from biological functions to diseases and therapeutic targets.

Bonan Chen, Peiyao Yu, Wai Nok Chan, Fuda Xie, Yigan Zhang, Li Liang, Kam Tong Leung, Kwok Wai Lo, Jun Yu, Gary M K Tse and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Signal transduction and targeted therapy, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 148 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
148citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
87.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

148 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 284 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Zinc deficiency and zinc/copper ratio imbalance in autism spectrum disorder: a reanalysis of six multinational studies.Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Metabolic cell death in cancer: mechanisms and therapeutic potential.Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death · 2025
    Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Metallothionein and neurodegenerative diseases.Neural regeneration research · 2026
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Zinc flux in skin: Identity and function of metallothionein 1-positive cells in skin homeostasis.JID innovations : skin science from molecules to population health · 2026
    Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Serum zinc, copper status and Cu/Zn ratio in overweight and obesity: associations with oxidative stress, adipokines, and cardiometabolic traits in adult women.Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine · 2026
    Article
  14. METTL3 loss exacerbates colitis via mActa pharmacologica Sinica · 2026
    Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Review

88 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Bonan Chen *Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0000-0002-2430-7934
Peiyao Yu *Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital and Basic Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Guangzhou, China.
Wai Nok ChanDepartment of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Fuda XieDepartment of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Yigan ZhangInstitute of Biomedical Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.
Li LiangDepartment of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital and Basic Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Guangzhou, China.
Kam Tong LeungDepartment of Pediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0000-0002-7695-2513
Kwok Wai LoDepartment of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0000-0002-3488-6124
Jun YuState Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Institute of Digestive Disease, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0000-0001-5008-2153
Gary M K TseDepartment of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Wei KangDepartment of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. weikang@cuhk.edu.hk.ORCID 0000-0002-4651-677X
Ka Fai ToDepartment of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. kfto@cuhk.edu.hk.ORCID 0000-0003-4919-3707
Chinese University of Hong Kong · HKNanfang Hospital · CNHubei University of Medicine · CN

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82272990
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Zinc metabolism at the cellular level is critical for many biological processes in the body. A key observation is the disruption of cellular homeostasis, often coinciding with disease progression. As an essential factor in maintaining cellular equilibrium, cellular zinc has been increasingly spotlighted in the context of disease development. Extensive research suggests zinc's involvement in promoting malignancy and invasion in cancer cells, despite its low tissue concentration. This has led to a growing body of literature investigating zinc's cellular metabolism, particularly the functions of zinc transporters and storage mechanisms during cancer progression. Zinc transportation is under the control of two major transporter families: SLC30 (ZnT) for the excretion of zinc and SLC39 (ZIP) for the zinc intake. Additionally, the storage of this essential element is predominantly mediated by metallothioneins (MTs). This review consolidates knowledge on the critical functions of cellular zinc signaling and underscores potential molecular pathways linking zinc metabolism to disease progression, with a special focus on cancer. We also compile a summary of clinical trials involving zinc ions. Given the main localization of zinc transporters at the cell membrane, the potential for targeted therapies, including small molecules and monoclonal antibodies, offers promising avenues for future exploration.

Indexed as

Biological PhenomenaZincDisease ProgressionHomeostasisHumansMembrane Transport ProteinsMembrane Transport ProteinsZinc

Identifiers

PMID38169461
PMCPMC10761908
OpenAlexW4390519793

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.