Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent, non-apoptotic form of programmed cell death driven by excessive lipid peroxidation (LPO). Mounting evidence suggests that the unique modality of cell death is involved in the development and progression of several diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), neurodegenerative disorders, etc. However, the pathogenesis and signalling pathways of ferroptosis are not fully understood, possibly due to the lack of robust tools for the highly selective and sensitive imaging of ferroptosis analytes in complex living systems. Up to now, various small-molecule fluorescent probes have been applied as promising chemosensors for studying ferroptosis through tracking the biomolecules or microenvironment-related parameters in vitro and in vivo. In this review, we comprehensively reviewed the recent development of small-molecule fluorescent probes for studying ferroptosis, with a focus on the analytes, design strategies and bioimaging applications. We also provided new insights to overcome the major challenges in this emerging field.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) under hypoxic conditions and drug resistance in chemotherapy are perplexing problems in anti‐tumor treatment. In addition, central nervous system neoplasm‐targeted nanoplatforms are urgently required. To address these issues, a new multi‐functional protein hybrid nanoplatform is designed, consisting of transferrin (TFR) as the multicategory solid tumor recognizer and hemoglobin for oxygen supply (ODP‐TH). This protein hybrid framework encapsulates the photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) and chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (Dox), which are attached by a glutathione‐responsive disulfide bond. Mechanistically, ODP‐TH crosses the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and specifically aggregated in hypoxic tumors via protein homology recognition. Oxygen and encapsulated drugs ultimately promote a therapeutic effect by down‐regulating the abundance of multidrug resistance gene 1 (MDR1) and hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1‐α (HIF‐1α). The results reveal that ODP‐TH achieves oxygen transport and protein homology recognition in the hypoxic tumor occupation. Indeed, compared with traditional photodynamic chemotherapy, ODP‐TH achieves a more efficient tumor‐inhibiting effect. This study not only overcomes the hypoxia‐related inhibition in combination therapy by targeted oxygen transport but also achieves an effective treatment of multiple tumors, such as breast cancer and glioma, providing a new concept for the construction of a promising multi‐functional targeted and intensive anti‐tumor nanoplatform.

Current traditional drugs such as enzyme inhibitors and receptor agonists/antagonists present inherent limitations due to occupancy-driven pharmacology as the mode of action. Proteolysis targeting ...

Non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most abundant type of epithelial lung cancer being diagnosed after 40% of invasions of excrescence in pulmonary tissues. According to WHO, 30% of NSCLC patients can be cured if diagnosed and treated early. Mutations play an important role in advanced stage NSCLC treatment, which includes critical proteins necessary for cellular growth and replication. Restricting such mutations may improve survival in lung cancer patients. Newer technologies include endoscopic bronchial ultrasonography and esophageal ultrasonography. Currently, policymaking or decision-making for treatment regimens merely depends on the genomic alterations and mutations. DNA sequencing, methylation, protein, and fragmented DNA analysis do NSCLC screening. Achievement of these goals requires consideration of available therapeutics in current anticancer approaches for improving quality of life and treatment outcomes for NSCLC patient. The specific goals of this review are to discuss first-line and second-line therapies for advanced-stage NSCLC and molecularly targeted therapy including thoughtful discussion on precise role of treatment strategies in specific tumors. Also, concerned diagnostics, new clinical trial designs, and pursuing appropriate combinations of radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy with biological therapy for exceptional cases considering resistance mechanisms and palliative care will be discussed.