Therapeutic Potential of Nanomedicine in Management of Alzheimer's Disease and Glioma

Int J Nanomedicine. 2023 May 22:18:2737-2756. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S405454. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Neoplasm (Glioblastoma) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) comprise two of the most chronic psychological ailments. Glioblastoma is one of the aggressive and prevalent malignant diseases characterized by rapid growth and invasion resulting from cell migration and degradation of extracellular matrix. While the latter is characterized by extracellular plaques of amyloid and intracellular tangles of tau proteins. Both possess a high degree of resistance to treatment owing to the restricted transport of corresponding drugs to the brain protected by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Development of optimized therapies using advanced technologies is a great need of today. One such approach is the designing of nanoparticles (NPs) to facilitate the drug delivery at the target site. The present article elaborates the advances in nanomedicines in treatment of both AD as well as Gliomas. The intention of this review is to provide an overview of different types of NPs with their physical properties emphasizing their importance in traversing the BBB and hitting the target site. Further, we discuss the therapeutic applications of these NPs along with their specific targets. Multiple overlapping factors with a common pathway in development of AD and Glioblastoma are discussed in details that will assist the readers in developing the conceptual approach to target the NP for an aging population in the given circumstances with limitations of currently designed NPs, and the challenges to meet and the future perspectives.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; blood–brain barrier; glioma; nanomedicine; therapeutic potential.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease* / drug therapy
  • Alzheimer Disease* / metabolism
  • Blood-Brain Barrier / metabolism
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Glioblastoma* / drug therapy
  • Glioblastoma* / metabolism
  • Glioma* / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Nanomedicine
  • Nanoparticles* / therapeutic use