Though 
copper is elevated in the 
tumor tissue and 
plasma of patients with various malignancies, the 
molecular targets for 
copper binding agents in 
angiogenesis and 
tumor progression remain poorly understood. It is disclosed that one anti-angiogenic target for the 
copper binding agent tetrathiomolybdate is 
intracellular CuZn-
superoxide dismutase (SOD1). A second generation tetrathiomolybdate analog, ATN-224, inhibits endothelial 
cell (EC) proliferation 
in vitro, binds to SOD1 and inhibits its activity without displacing 
bound copper ATN-224 can accumulate in ECs and inhibit CuZnSOD activity with an IC50 similar to the IC50 for EC proliferation, resulting in increased generation of 
intracellular reactive oxygen species. Inhibition of EC proliferation by ATN-224 
in vitro is substantially reversed by a synthetic 
porphyrin SOD mimetic. Similar results were observed 
in vivo, where inhibition of 
angiogenesis by ATN-224 in a 
Matrigel plug model was also reversed by MnTBAP. Thus, a distinct molecular target for copper depletion therapy has been identified and SOD1 is now validated as a target for anti-
angiogenesis. Methods for screening, or designing, such SOD1 inhibitors for use as angiogenesis inhibitors and anti-
cancer agents are disclosed.