Chapter 6 - Bioengineered Ferritin Nanoprobes for Cancer Theranostics

Abstract

Ferritin, an iron storage protein naturally occurring in the body, has emerged as a promising nanoprobe for cancer theranostics owing to its unique architecture, excellent biocompatibility, and ability to self-assemble/disassemble. More remarkably, the finding that human H-ferritin targets tumor cells via specific binding to its receptor transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) has inspired research into using ferritins for tumor-targeted imaging and therapy. Here we attempt to summarize current research on ferritin nanoprobes, particularly newly identified functions related to cancer theranostics, to address existing challenges and to highlight future directions.