Cell Membrane Biomimetic Nanoparticles with Potential in Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

Molecules. 2023 Mar 3;28(5):2336. doi: 10.3390/molecules28052336.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is to blame for about 60% of dementia cases worldwide. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents many medications for AD from having clinical therapeutic effects that can be used to treat the affected area. Many researchers have turned their attention to cell membrane biomimetic nanoparticles (NPs) to solve this situation. Among them, NPs can extend the half-life of drugs in the body as the "core" of the wrapped drug, and the cell membrane acts as the "shell" of the wrapped NPs to functionalize the NPs, which can further improve the delivery efficiency of nano-drug delivery systems. Researchers are learning that cell membrane biomimetic NPs can circumvent the BBB's restriction, prevent harm to the body's immune system, extend the period that NPs spend in circulation, and have good biocompatibility and cytotoxicity, which increases efficacy of drug release. This review summarized the detailed production process and features of core NPs and further introduced the extraction methods of cell membrane and fusion methods of cell membrane biomimetic NPs. In addition, the targeting peptides for modifying biomimetic NPs to target the BBB to demonstrate the broad prospects of cell membrane biomimetic NPs drug delivery systems were summarized.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; blood–brain barrier; cell membrane biomimetic nanoparticles; targeting peptides.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease* / drug therapy
  • Biomimetics
  • Blood-Brain Barrier / metabolism
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Nanoparticles* / therapeutic use