Current Perspectives of Nanotherapeutics for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most prevalent irreversible neurodegenerative disorders, contributing to approximately 50-80% of all reported cases worldwide. The majority of current treatment strategies for AD only provide symptomatic treatment. The inability of existing medications to penetrate the bloodbrain barrier (BBB) is a major challenge in treating AD. The application of nanotechnology in drug delivery systems is categorized by potential medicines designed to penetrate the BBB and improve drug targeting for neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) treatment. Nanotechnology offers a wide range of nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems with minimal systemic side effects. Nano-based gene delivery vehicles and nanocarriers such as neurotrophic factors effectively improve neuronal survival and synaptic connectivity. Thus, currently, they are being utilized as a popular therapeutic against various neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, nanotechnology has patented various novel nanostructures and developed several advanced formulations for the management and prevention of NDDs. Therefore, to combat neurodegenerative disorders, nanotechnology can be applied to neuroscience. Primary research on employing nanoparticles (NPs) to manage Alzheimer's disease has shown promising results, but additional studies are still required. In this chapter, we discuss the pathogenesis and causes of AD and also outline the role of NPs in the brain's microenvironment for treating Alzheimer's disease. Overall, this chapter focuses on newly investigated NP systems that provide unique ways of understanding AD pathophysiology and suggesting therapy to cure AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer's diseases, Nanomedicine, Nanotherapeutics, Neurodegenerative disorders.