Special Issue "Innovative Strategies for Glutathione Depletion in Cancer Therapy"

Dear Colleagues,

Glutathione (GSH) is an important member of the cellular antioxidative system. In cancer cells, a high GSH level is indispensable for scavenging excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and detoxifying xenobiotics, making it a potential target for cancer therapy. Many studies have shown that a loss of intracellular GSH makes cancer cells more susceptible to oxidative stress and chemotherapeutic agents. GSH depletion has been proven to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of ROS-based therapies (photodynamic, sonodynamic, and chemodynamic therapy), ferroptosis, and chemotherapy. Intractable challenges regarding GSH depletion and metabolism are ongoing in the field of cancer therapy, and there is growing evidence that GSH is a dominant factor in the development and progression of malignant tumors.

GSH depletion based on the multi-strategy of simultaneously inhibiting upstream GSH synthesis and consuming downstream GSH reserves may be a promising solution. Furthermore, being aware of the mechanism behind each strategy is especially important for choosing the proper approach to GSH depletion and enhancing the efficacy of cancer therapy. Functional materials or medications with GSH-consuming abilities are of particular interest due to their unique advantages and potential. Thus, our Special Issue focuses on elucidating the innovative strategies of GSH depletion in cancer diagnostics, treatment, and prognostics, which require deep exploration.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect high-quality original research and review articles on recent progress in the ingenious application of GSH-depleting strategies in cancer therapy for improving the outcomes of various therapeutic regimens.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

1. Elucidation of the mechanisms of crosstalk between tumor cell death, immunity, and GSH depletion in different pathologies.
2. Novel delivery systems for chemicals targeting regulated GSH and oxidative stress.
3. New diagnostic and therapeutic strategies targeting regulated cellular GSH content.
4. The roles of GSH depletion in various therapeutic modalities such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and phototherapy.
5. The identification of novel findings on key factors (such as genetic and metabolic aspects) in tumor GSH depletion.
6. Chemically induced GSH depletion in the treatment of cancer.
7. The inhibition of GSH biosynthesis.
8. Boosting nanotherapeutics by depleting intracellular GSH.
9. Depleting mitochondrial GSH (mtGSH) for cancer therapy.
10. Clinical trials of GSH-depletion-enhanced cancer therapy.

Dr. Daoming Zhu
Dr. Tongkai Chen
Dr. Xin Li
Dr. Xing Zhang
Guest Editors

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