Q&A with Alan Wong: Reducing Copper Intake from Foods as a Treatment Strategy for Pediatric Leukemia

Did you know that your normal diet likely contains trace amounts of copper? This mineral can be found in foods such as shellfish, beans, and organ meats like liver and kidney.

In fact, your body uses this mineral to help produce energy, form red blood cells, support brain and immune function, and protect cells from damage. Unfortunately, cancer cells also depend on copper to stimulate their growth and spread.

MD-PhD student Alan Wong of Harvard Medical School is studying whether this link between copper and cancer cells can be exploited as a potential treatment strategy for childhood leukemia. He received a 2025 Predoctoral Fellowship in Drug Discovery for his research aiming to improve leukemia therapy through nutritional and dietary changes.

Using mouse models of human leukemia, he found that restricting dietary intake of copper slows the growth of systemic leukemia and leukemia in the brain and improves the effect of existing therapies. He hopes this research could eventually help to improve long-term outcomes for childhood leukemia patients.

Watch this video to learn more about Wong and his research.

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