Nano-based Cell therapy for AD and PD

Author(s): Ashok Chakraborty, Anil Diwan

The most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases are Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Both AD and PD are classified as proteinopathies where misfolded amyloid-β, and tau proteins in AD and α-synuclein in PD are noticed. The main AD hallmarks are memory loss where the loss of dopaminergic neurons and the development of Lewy-bodies are found in PD. The defects in the motor neuron activities, however, can be noticed after the loss of dopaminergic neurons by 50-70% in the Substantia nigra (SN) region. Emerging Evidences are there to suggest suggests that misfolded protein tangles and/or plaques have prion-like proteins which are the major factor causing the pathogenesis. Additional factors that can affect pathology of theses diseases include oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, inflammation, and age-related cell death. Chronic inflammation is also universally thought to play a central role in the initiation and progression of PD. At present no such real therapies are yet available for the cure of AD and PD, besides some palliative treatment. However, efforts are in the process to find some effective therapies using transplantable neural cells, gene therapies, and better and some nanomaterials, for better targeting across the blood-brain barrier. Nanomaterials, further can increase the drug half-lives, protect cargo from immune detection, and provide a physical structure that can support cell growth.