Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026

Revealing the Ferroptotic Phenotype of Medulloblastoma
Published on: March 15, 2024
Chemical insights on covalent organic frameworks for ferroptosis and pyroptosis in cancer
Eunji Kim1, Min-Goo Lee1, Yoonji Heo2
1Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea. jongskim@korea.ac.kr.
Abstract:
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), with their customizable structures and properties, can be employed as comprehensive platforms for drug delivery and generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). This Tutorial Review outlines practical guidelines for the design, synthesis, and engineering of COFs to achieve oxidative-stress-driven cell death, with a focus on ferroptosis and the emerging pyroptosis pathways. It discusses COF customization to overcome antioxidative barriers, deliver redox-active species, release the abundant ROS, and optimize the therapeutic efficacy, while minimizing adverse effects. The chemical design and mechanism of the COF are comprehensively discussed, within the context of the biological redox environment and oxidative damage leading to ferroptosis or pyroptosis. Furthermore, this review explores strategies for enhancing the specificity and therapeutic effects of ferroptosis and pyroptosis induction in potential synergy with conventional cancer treatments. The challenges and perspectives associated with translating COF-based therapies have also been addressed. Overall, COFs represent a versatile platform for targeted ferroptosis and pyroptosis induction in cancer therapy, offering insights into the future of precision medicine and personalized cancer therapy.
Related Concept Videos
Necrosis
Morphological Manifestations of Necrosis
Necrotic cells show different types of morphological appearance depending on the type of tissue and infection. In coagulative necrosis, cells become anucleated and die, but their...
Covalently Linked Protein Regulators
These groups modify specific amino acids in a protein.
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
