Blood-brain barrier permeable carbon nano-assemblies for amyloid-β clearance and neurotoxic attenuation.

Abnormal amyloid β-protein (Aβ) fibrillation is a key event in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and photodynamic therapy (PDT) possesses great potential in modulating Aβ self-assembly. However, the poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration, low biocompatibility, and limited tissue penetration depth of existing photosensitizers limit the progress of photo-oxidation strategies. In this paper, novel indocyanine green-modified graphene quantum dot nano-assemblies (NBGQDs-ICGs) were synthesized based on a molecular assembly strategy of electrostatic interactions for PDT inhibition of Aβ self-assembly process and decomposition of preformed fibrils under near-infrared light.

Photooxidative inhibition and decomposition of β-amyloid in Alzheimer's by nano-assemblies of transferrin and indocyanine green.

Photoinduced modulation of Aβ aggregation has emerged as a therapeutic option for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) due to its high spatiotemporal controllability, noninvasive nature, and low systemic toxicity. However, existing photo-oxidants have the poor affinity for Aβ, low depolymerization efficiency, and difficulty in crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB), hindering their application in the treatment of AD. Here, through hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding, we integrated the near-infrared (NIR) photosensitizer indocyanine green with transferrin (denoted as TF-ICG), a protein with a high affinity for Aβ, and demonstrated its anti-amyloid activity in vitro.

Molecularly imprinted sensor based on poly-o-phenylenediamine-hydroquinone polymer for β-amyloid-42 detection.

A sensitive and selective molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sensor was developed for the determination of amyloid-β (1-42) (Aβ). The glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was successively modified with electrochemical reduction graphene oxide (ERG) and poly(thionine-methylene blue) (PTH-MB). The MIPs were synthesized by electropolymerization with Aβ as a template and o-phenylenediamine (o-PD) and hydroquinone (HQ) as functional monomers.

Curcumin-loaded protein imprinted mesoporous nanosphere for inhibiting amyloid aggregation.

Some natural variants of human lysozyme are associated with systemic non-neurological amyloidosis that leads to amyloid protein fibril deposition in different tissues. Inhibition of amyloid fibrillation by nanomaterials is considered to be an effective approach to treating amyloidosis. Here, we prepared a targeted, highly loaded curcumin lysozyme-imprinted nanosphere (CUR-MIMS) that could effectively inhibit the aggregation of lysozyme with lysozyme adsorption capacity of 193.

Molecularly Imprinted Materials for Selective Biological Recognition.

Molecular imprinting is an approach of generating imprinting cavities in polymer structures that are compatible with the target molecules. The cavities have memory for shape and chemical recognition, similar to the recognition mechanism of antigen-antibody in organisms. Their structures are also called biomimetic receptors or synthetic receptors.