Nanotechnology Applications in Alzheimer's Disease Therapy
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease is characterised by progressive cognitive decline driven by extracellular amyloid-β plaques, intracellular tau neurofibrillary tangles and chronic neuroinflammation. Conventional therapies are hampered by the restrictive blood-brain barrier (BBB), poor solubility of candidate drugs and limited target specificity. Nanotechnology offers a multifaceted toolkit to address these challenges by engineering nanoparticles and nanocomposites that facilitate cargo transport across the BBB, enhance drug stability, enable controlled release and reduce off-target toxicity. Platforms based on polymers, lipids, metals and hybrid materials can carry small molecules, peptides, antioxidants or genetic material to neuronal or microglial targets. Multifunctional “theranostic” systems integrate diagnostic imaging—such as magnetic resonance or near-infrared fluorescence—with therapeutic action, permitting real-time tracking and early intervention. Recent advances focus on inhibiting amyloid-β aggregation, attenuating tau hyperphosphorylation, neutralising reactive oxygen species and modulating microglial states, laying the groundwork for scalable, precision-guided treatments with potential global impact.
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Nanotechnology Applications in Alzheimer's Disease Therapy publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanotechnology applications in alzheimer's disease therapy across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Blood-brain barrier (BBB): A selective endothelial interface that regulates molecular entry from the bloodstream into the brain.
Nanoparticle: A particle with dimensions between 1 and 100 nanometres, used as a carrier for therapeutic agents.
Theranostic: A platform combining therapeutic and diagnostic functions in a single nanomaterial.
Amyloid-β (Aβ): A peptide that aggregates extracellularly into plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's pathology.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Highly reactive oxygen-containing molecules that contribute to oxidative cellular damage.
References
- H2O2‐responsive multifunctional nanocomposite for the inhibition of amyloid‐β and Tau aggregation in Alzheimer's disease. BMEMat (2023).
- Tau‑targeting multifunctional nanocomposite based on tannic acid-metal for near-infrared fluorescence/magnetic resonance bimodal imaging-guided combinational therapy in Alzheimer's disease. Theranostics (2024).
- Biomimetic Remodeling of Microglial Riboflavin Metabolism Ameliorates Cognitive Impairment by Modulating Neuroinflammation. Advanced Science (2023).
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