Ferroptotic Nanomaterials Enhance Cancer Therapy via Boosting Fenton-Reaction

Abstract Despite numerous efforts in advancing cancer treatment, the commonly used therapies remain unsatisfactory. It is imperative to explore new therapeutic modalities for combating cancer to complement the existing regimens. Ferroptosis, an emerging cell death pathway, has drawn great interest as an alternative to current apoptosis-based therapies. Hitherto, a series of strategies have been developed to formulate ferroptosis-based cancer therapies, such as accelerating the Fenton reaction, suppressing cellular glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), and blocking system Xc-. In this review, we have summarized the recent progress in various ferroptotic strategies for cancer treatment with a focus on the nanomaterial-amplified Fenton reaction. The challenges and opportunities of this approach are highlighted for further clinical translation.