Delivering metal ions by nanomaterials: Turning metal ions into drug-like cancer theranostic agents

This review summarizes the applications of metal-ion-delivered nanomaterials in cancer therapy and diagnostic imaging. The metal-ion-induced therapies (e.g., chemodynamic therapy, immunotherapy, etc.) and cell death pathways (e.g., ferroptosis, cuproptosis, etc.) are detailed. Mono-/Multi-model tumor imaging technologies depending on metal ions are also the emphasis. The future perspectives of metal-ions-based theranostic nanoplatforms in preclinic or clinics are recommended.