Chiral nanomaterials for neurodegenerative diseases

Abstract

Chiral nanomaterials with distinctive physical and chemical properties, including circular dichroism, circularly polarized photoluminescence, nonlinear optics, and spintronics, have risen to the forefront of materials science research, with remarkable potential for applications in drug delivery and disease diagnosis and treatment. In recent years, increasing attention has been drawn to the application of chiral nanomaterials in the study and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, mainly due to their stereoselective interactions with biomolecules, such as DNA, amino acids, and peptides, which are also chiral. Although there have been some good reviews of the biological applications of chiral nanomaterials, there has been little in-depth discussion of their application in neurodegenerative diseases to date. Thus, the recent progress of chiral nanomaterials in neurodegenerative diseases was summarized and discussed in this review. Firstly, the classification, preparation methods and characteristics of chiral nanomaterials were described. The subsequent discussion was focused on the mechanism of chiral nanomaterials in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, the current challenges and future prospects of this filed are thoroughly discussed. This review will provide valuable insights and guidance for the construction of chiral nanomaterials that possess specific biological functions for alleviating the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.