Abbreviation	Clarification
A-549	Lung cancer
Ag NC	Silver nanocluster
AFP	α-fetoprotein
AIDS-KS	AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma
5-ALA	5-aminolevulinic acid
AO	Acridine orange
ATC	Anaplastic thyroid cancer
AU NS	Gold nanostar
Bcl-2	Antiapoptotic B cell lymphoma-2
bFGF	Basic fibroblast growth factor
BRAF	It is a human gene code for B-Raf protein. The gene is also known V-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B.
BxPC-3	Pancreatic cancer cells
C6 glioma	Glioma cell line
CAC	Critical aggregation concentration
Caco-2	Colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line
CAFs	Cancer-associated fibroblasts
CDF	3,4-difluorobenzylidene-curcumin
CdSe	Cadmium selenide
CdTe	Cadmium telluride
CF488	Green fluorescent dye
CLSM	Confocal laser scanning microscope
CNS	Central nervous system
CT	Computed tomography
64Cu	Copper-64 radioisotopes
DDS	Drug delivery system
DiR	1,1′-Dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindotricarbocyanine Iodide
DLS	Dynamic light scattering
DNA	Deoxyribonucleic acid
DOX	Doxorubicin
DPPC	1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine
DSPC	1,2-distearoylglycero-3-phosphocholine
DSPE-mPEG-2000	1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(polyethylene glycol)-2000]
DU145	Androgen insensitive prostate cancer cell line
Dunning AT1	Prostate tumor cells
EB	Ethidium bromide
EG	Poly (ethylene glycol)-b-Poly (glutamic acid)
EGFR	Epidermal growth factor receptor
EMC	Extracellular matrix component
EPR	Enhanced permeability and retention
Er	Erbium
FA	Folic Acid
FACS	Fluorescence-activated cell sorting
FDA	Food and drug administration
FITC	Fluorescein isothiocyanate
5-FU	Fluorouracil
Ga 68	Gallium-68
GAGs	Glycosaminoglycans
GEG	Poly (ethylene glycol)-b-poly (glutamic acid)-b-poly (ethylene glycol)
Gd	Gadolinium
Gd-DTPA	Gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentacetic acid
GdF4	Gadolinium fluoride
GRE	Glucocorticoid responsive element
GRP78	Glucose-regulated protein of 78 kDa
GSH	Glutathione
HA	Hyaluronic acid
HAMA	Human anti-mouse antibody
HCC	Hepatocellular carcinoma
H&E	Hematoxylin and eosin stain
HeLa	Human cervical carcinoma
HER2	Human epidermal growth factor Receptor 2
HIFU	High-intensity focused ultrasound
HOOC-PEG3.4k-PCL15k	α-carboxyl poly(ethylene glycol)–poly (ε-caprolactone)
HPMA	N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide
HU	Hounsfield unit
ICG	Indocyanine green
IDLPL	111In-DTPA-labeled pegylated liposomes
IFP	Interstitial fluid pressure
IgG	Immunoglobulin G
IGROV-1	Ovarian cancer cells
InAs	Indium arsenide
InP	Indium phosphide
IONPs	Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles
LSPR	Localized surface plasmon resonance
177Lu	Lutetium-177
MCF 7	Breast cancer cell line
MDR	Multidrug resistance
MEEA	2-[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]-acetic acid
MMP	Matrix metalloproteinase
MNPs	Magnetic nanoparticle
Mn2+	Manganese ion
MPEG3k-PCL15k	Methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)–poly (ε-caprolactone)
MRI	Magnetic resonance imaging
99mTc	Technetium-99m: it is an isotope of technetium
MTX	Methotrexate
Myc	Regulator gene that codes for a transcription factor
NCPs	Nanoscale coordination polymer
NCT	Neutron capture therapy
NIR	Near-infrared dye
NIS	Sodium iodide symporter gene
NP	Nanoparticles
OVCAR3	Ovarian carcinoma cells
PAMAM	Poly (amidoamine)
PBCA NPs	Polybutylcyanoacrylate Nanoparticles
PC-3	Androgen insensitive prostate cancer cell line
PDA	Polydopamine
PDAC	Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
PDGF	Platelet-derived growth factor
PD-L1	Programmed death-ligand 1
SPD-1	Programmed death-1
PDT	Photodynamic therapy
PEI	Polyethyleneimine
PEG	Polyethylene glycol
PET	Positron emission tomography
PLA-PEG	Poly(lactic acid)-co-Poly(ethylene glycol)
PLGA	Poly-(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide
PLG	Poly (d,l-lactide-co-glycolide)
PolyPCPDTBT	Poly[2,6-(4,4-bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta [2,1-b;3,4-b′]dithiophene)-alt-4,7(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)]
Ps 80	Polysorbate 80
QD	Quantum dots
RES	Reticuloendothelial system
RF	Radiofrequency
RNA	Ribonucleic acid
RbCur	Boron-curcumin complex
ROS	Reactive oxygen species
RVG	Rabies virus glycoprotein
SC	Stratum corneum
SCC	Human squamous cell carcinoma
SDF-1	Stroma-derived factor
SGC-7901	Gastric cancer cell line
SKOV3	Ovarian carcinoma cells
SPECT	Single-photon emission computed tomography
SPIONs	Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles
SRB	Sulforhodamine B protein-dye
SS	Disulfide bond
T2/T1	Relaxation time
TDD	Transdermal drug delivery
TEM	Transmission electron microscopy
Tet	Tetrandrine
TGF-β	Transforming growth factor beta
THP-1	Human monocytic cell line
TME	Tumor microenvironment
TPP	Triphenylphosphonium cation
TRC105	Carotuximab
TSL	Temperature-sensitive liposome
U-87	Brain cancer
UCL	Upconversion luminescence
UCNPs	Upconversion nanoparticles
uPA	Urokinase plasminogen activator
uPAR	Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor
VEGF	Vascular endothelial growth factor
Y	Yttrium
Yb	Ytterbium
ZDS	Zwitterionic dopamine sulfonate