ABC, ATP binding cassette; AFN, apoferritin; ALDH, aldehyde dehydrogenase; BM-MSCs-derived Exos, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells-derived exosomes; Biomarker; CAFs, cancer-associated fibroblasts; CL-siSOX2, cationic lipoplex of SOX2 small interfering RNA; CMP, carbonate-mannose modified PEI; CQ, chloroquine; CSCs, cancer stem cells; Cancer stem cells; Cancer treatment; Cellular level; DCLK1, doublecortin-like kinase 1; DDSs, drug delivery systems; DLE, drug loading efficiency; DOX, doxorubicin; DQA-PEG2000-DSPE, dequlinium and carboxyl polyethylene glycol-distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine; Dex, dexamethasone; Drug delivery systems; ECM, extracellular matrix; EMT, epithelial­mesenchymal transition; EPND, nanodiamond-Epirubicin drug complex; EpCAM, epithelial cell adhesion molecule; GEMP, gemcitabine monophosphate; GLUT1, glucose ligand to the glucose transporter 1; Glu, glucose; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; HH, Hedgehog; HIF1α, hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha; HNSCC, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; IONP, iron oxide nanoparticle; LAC, lung adenocarcinoma; LNCs, lipid nanocapsules; MAPK, mitogen-activated protein kinase; MB, methylene blue; MDR, multidrug resistance; MNP, micellar nanoparticle; MSNs, mesoporous silica nanoparticles; Molecular level; NF-κB, nuclear factor-kappa B; Nav, navitoclax; Niche; PBAEs, poly(ß-aminoester); PDT, photodynamic therapy; PEG-PCD, poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(2-methyl-2-carboxyl-propylene carbonate-graft-dodecanol); PEG-PLA, poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(d,l-lactide); PEG-b-PLA, poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(d,l-lactide); PLGA, poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide); PTX, paclitaxel; PU-PEI, polyurethane-short branch-polyethylenimine; SLNs, solid lipid nanoparticles; SSCs, somatic stem cells; Sali-ABA, 4-(aminomethyl) benzaldehyde-modified Sali; TNBC, triple negative breast cancer; TPZ, tirapazamine; Targeting strategies; cRGD, cyclic Arg-Gly-Asp; iTEP, immune-tolerant, elastin-like polypeptide; mAbs, monoclonal antibodies; mPEG-b-PCC-g-GEM-g-DC-g-CAT, poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(2-methyl-2-carboxyl-propylenecarbonate-graft-dodecanol-graft-cationic ligands); ncRNA, non-coding RNAs; uPAR, urokinase plasminogen activator receptor