Overview and SWOT analysis of nano-ferroptosis therapy for cancers

Abstract

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In the search for effective treatments, conventional therapies such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy have emerged as mainstream options. However, these therapies often come with significant side effects, resulting in unsatisfactory treatment outcomes. In contrast, the emerging field of nano-ferroptosis therapy has considerable promise for cancer treatment, offering notable advantages in tumor targeting, mitigating drug resistance, and minimizing toxicity. Nano-ferroptosis therapy leverages nanocarriers with high loading capacities and structural tunability to deliver ferroptosis inducers, thereby inhibiting tumor growth through mechanisms such as the enhanced permeability and retention effect or active targeting for precise delivery to the tumor site. This review outlines the current status of research on nano-ferroptosis therapy for various cancer types, with a focus on four key aspects: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). Based on these insights, we propose recommendations and solutions for each aspect of the SWOT analysis. It is expected that this review will provide some insights for advancing nanomedicine design, deepening our understanding of ferroptosis mechanisms, and guiding the development of more effective strategies for cancer treatment.