Applications of Nanotechnology in the Treatment of Alzheimers Disease

Abstract

Alzheimers Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with progressive memory and cognitive impairment. Due to the devastating social and financial impacts of AD, extensive research is put into gaining a clearer understanding of its pathogenesis and risk factors, as well as the development of treatments that can slow or reverse the disease progression. Despite this, early and accurate detection of AD and the development of curative treatments are yet to be achieved. Further, major challenges remain in the symptomatic treatments available today, as the delivery of Alzheimers medications is limited by low efficiency due to difficulties in blood-brain barrier permeation and poor absorption. The incorporation of nanotechnology in current and potential treatments present unique opportunities for the delivery of therapeutic agents with increased specificity, lower toxicity and controlled release. In this review, we outline the proposed pathogenesis, current diagnosis and treatment methods of AD, and discuss recent advancements in nanomaterial-based systems that target major hallmarks of AD through different mechanisms, including targeted drug delivery, inhibition of A aggregation, delivery of neuroprotective agents and A removal from the blood.