Oxidative stress plays a critical role in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Traditional methods for regulating oxidative stress using drugs or enzyme molecules often face limitations in efficacy, potential side effects, and the ability to fully meet clinical needs. The emergence of nanozymes offers a novel approach to overcome these challenges and explore therapeutic mechanisms. Focusing on the interaction between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the nervous system, this article reviews the latest advancements in the use of nanozymes for treating neurodegenerative diseases. First, the mechanism of ROS interaction with neurons and glial cells in the complex nervous network is summarized by analyzing the characteristics of ROS. Second, the application examples and mechanism exploration of different types of ROS-related nanozymes in many neurodegenerative diseases are introduced and summarized. Additionally, the current situation and future prospects of nanozymes combined with advanced technologies such as in vitro detection and artificial intelligence for disease treatment are further discussed. This approach is poised to significantly advance the development of therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.

Programmed cell death (PCD) is defined as regulated cell death controlled by an intracellular program. While apoptosis was once thought to be the only kind of PCD, current understanding has expanded to include other forms such as pyroptosis, autophagy, and necroptosis. These processes, especially apoptosis and necroptosis, serve as natural defenses that restrict cancer cells from surviving and disseminating. However, cancer cells have evolved various strategies to evade PCD, including genetic mutations and epigenetic modifications in key modulators of PCD pathways. With the continuous development of nanotechnology, emerging nanomaterials (NMs) are considered to break through this bottleneck due to their intrinsic physicochemical properties. Especially, new kinds of cell death induced by NMs, such as ferroptosis, cuproptosis, and calcium overload, show gratifying potential in cancer therapy, which is closely linked to the role of metal ions. Additionally, other metal ions-induced cell death such as sodium and zinc have also emerged in an endless stream. Hence, we propose the term “metalloptosis” to describe cell death induced by metal ions and summarize its application in cancer therapy through NMs. This review will delve into the critical design principles for engineering NMs involved in metalloptosis and provide a comprehensive summary of current metal ions-mediated cancer therapies, focusing on nanoplatforms and their mechanisms of action. We hope that this review will provide a new perspective on metal ions-mediated cancer therapy based on nanotechnology.

Organic afterglow luminescent probes (OALPs), characterized by their long-lasting luminescence after irradiation (by light, ultrasound, or X-rays) cessation, are pivotal tools in autofluorescence-free optical imaging. They exhibit ultra-low background noise interference, enhancing imaging sensitivity and ensuring clearer, more reliable imaging results. Moreover, they offer deeper tissue penetration compared to traditional optical imaging modalities, providing various information from deep tissues. Recently developed sonoafterglow and radioafterglow further enhance tissue penetration depth. This review outlines 2 design approaches for OALPs: coencapsulation and conjugation, which are derived from their luminescent mechanism. Guided by these strategies, researchers have designed 3 types of OALPs: near-infrared OALPs, responsive OALPs, and ratiometric OALPs. Additionally, we also provided examples of how OALPs are integrated with therapy and applied in the field of cancer theranostics. Finally, we discuss certain challenges encountered in the advancement of the next generation of OALPs, aiming to broaden their scope of applications.