Copper-induced cytotoxicity: reactive oxygen species or islet amyloid polypeptide oligomer formation.

Copper enhances amyloid cytotoxicity and mediates human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) oligomerization; nickel, a redox inactive metal with similar protein binding affinity to copper, also mimics this effect, thereby demonstrating copper-mediated hIAPP cytotoxicity is due mainly to granular oligomer generation rather than ROS accumulation in type 2 diabetes.