AB3	Anti-cancer drug
ABDA	9,10-Anthracenediyl-bis(methylene) dimalonic acid
ABMDMA	9,10-Anthracenediyl-bis(methylene)dimalonic acid
ABS	Acetate buffer solution
ADPA	10-dipropionic acid, disodium salt
AEP	2-aminoethyl dihydrogen phosphate
AFM	Atomic force microscope
ATF	Amino terminal fragment of urokinase plasminogen activator
AuNPs	Gold nanoparticles
Azo	Azobenzene
BFNS	Bifunctional nanospheres
BP	Bis-pyrene
bPEI	Branched polyethylenimine
BRET	Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer
BSA	Bovine serum albumin
BTSA	Bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide
BT	Barium–titanate
CaB	Cathepsin B
CD	Cyclodextrin
cDDP	Cis-diaminedichloroplatine(II)
Ce6	Chlorin e6
CLSM	Confocal laser scanning microscopy
CQDs	Carbon quantum dots
CR	Core–satellite superstructure
C18RB	Hydrocarbonized RB
Cs-Na	Nitroimidazole-modified chitosan
CTAB	Cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide
CTS	Chitosan
Cy3	Cyanine 3
DCFH-DA	Dichlorodihydrofluorescein-diacetate
DLS	Dynamic light scattering
DMA	9,10-Dimethylanthracene
DNA	Deoxyribonucleic acid
DOX	Doxorubicin
DPBF	1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran
EADC	1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide
EDC	N-Ethyl-N′-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl)carbodiimide
EPR	Enhanced permeability effect
FA	Folic acid
FITS	Fluorescein isothiocyanate
FRET	Förster resonance energy transfer
5FU	5-Fluorouracil
GG	Guar gum
GRDs	Gadolinium-rose bengal coordination polymer nanodots
GSH	Glutathione
HA	Hyaluronic acid
HAx	Hexamethylenediamine
HCPT	10-Hydroxycamptothecin
HMSNs	Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles
HSPC	Hydrogenated soy L-a-phosphatidylcholine
IR	Infrared
IR825	NIR-absorbing dye
LIFU	Low-intensity focused ultrasound
Ln	Lanthanide
LNP	Luminescent lanthanide nanoparticles
MB	Methylene blue
MF	Multifunctional
MMSN	Magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticle
MNCs	Magnetic nanoclusters
Mo	Oxymolybdate
MOF	Metal–organic frameworks
MRI	Magnetic resonance imaging
MS	Mesoporous silica
MSNs	Mesoporous silica nanoparticles
MTD	Maximum tolerated dose
MTT	3-[4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide
MUCNPs	Multi-shelled upconversion nanoparticles
NCs	Nanocarriers
Nd	Not determined
NHS	N-Hydroxysuccinimide
NIR	Near infrared
NPs	Nanoparticles
OA	Oleic acid
1O2	Singlet oxygen
PAA	Polyacrylic acid
PAH	Poly(allylamine)
PAMAM	Poly(amidoamine)
PARN	Amphiphilic peptide nanocapsules
PBS	Phosphate buffer solution
PCL	PEG-block-poly(ε-caprolactone)
Pdots	Polymer dots
PDT	Photodynamic therapy
PE	Phosphoethanolamine
PEG	Polyethyleneglycol
PEG-b-PAsp	Polyethylene glycol-b-poly(aspartic acid)
PEI	Polyethylene imine
PE-NH2	1,2-Dioleoyl-sn-glycero-phosphoethanolamine-N(hexanoylamine)
PFH	Perfluorohexane
PGA	Poly(glycolic acid)
PHLA	Partially hydrolyzed α-lactalbumin
p.i	Post injection
PLA	Poly(lactic acid)
PLGA	Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)
PPADT	Poly-(1,4-phenyleneacetone dimethylenethioketal)
PS	Photosensitizer
PTT	Photothermal therapy
PTX	Paclitaxel
PVA	Poly(vinyl alcohol)
PVK	Poly(N-vinyl carbazole)
QDs	Quantum dots
QSY7	ROS quenching
RB	Rose Bengal
RBD	Rose bengal ω-carboxyheptyl ester
RET	Resonance energy transfer
ROS	Reactive oxygen species
ScNPs	Scintillating nanoparticles
SHG	Second harmonic generation
SOSG	Singlet oxygen sensor green
SSTRs	Somatostatin receptors
TEM	Transmission emission microscopy
TEOS	Tetraethyl orthosilicate
TMP–OH	2,2,6,6-Tetramethyl-4-piperidinol
TOPO	Trioctylphosphine oxide
TPA	Two-photon activation
TUNEL	Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling
UCL	Upconversion luminescence
UCNPs	Upconversion nanoparticles
UPA	Urokinase plasminogen activator
US	Ultrasound
UV	Ultraviolet
WEN	White emitting NaYF4
XLNPs	X-ray-luminescent nanoparticles
X-PDT	Photodynamic therapy induced by X-ray
ZIF-90	Zeolitic imidazolate framework-90
ZnPc-COOH	Zinc β-carboxyphthalocyanine