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Published on: November 1, 2019
Action Mechanisms of Curcumin in Alzheimer's Disease and Its Brain Targeted Delivery
1Biomedical Engineering, Boğaziçi University, Rasathane Cd, Kandilli Campus, Istanbul 34684, Turkey.
Abstract:
AD is a chronic neurodegenerative disease. Many different signaling pathways, such as Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, ROS/JNK, and PI3K/Akt/mTOR are involved in Alzheimer's disease and crosstalk between themselves. A promising treatment involves the uses of flavonoids, and one of the most promising is curcumin; however, because it has difficulty permeating the blood-brain barrier (BBB), it must be encapsulated by a drug carrier. Some of the most frequently studied are lipid nanocarriers, liposomes, micelles and PLGA. These carriers are further conjugated with brain-targeting agents such as lactoferrin and transferrin. In this review paper, curcumin and its therapeutic effects, which have been examined in vivo, are analyzed and then the delivery systems to the brain are addressed. Overall, the analysis of the literature revealed great potential for curcumin in treating AD and indicated the challenges that require further research.
Insights
Curcumin shows promise for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD), but its delivery to the brain is challenging. Encapsulation in nanocarriers like liposomes and micelles, combined with targeting agents, is a key strategy.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves complex signaling pathways like Wnt/β-catenin and ROS/JNK.
- Curcumin, a flavonoid, exhibits therapeutic potential for AD.
- Curcumin's poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration necessitates advanced drug delivery systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the therapeutic effects of curcumin in Alzheimer's disease.
- To analyze novel drug delivery systems for enhancing curcumin's brain penetration.
- To identify challenges and future research directions for curcumin-based AD therapies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of in vivo studies on curcumin's efficacy in AD.
- Analysis of various nanocarrier systems for curcumin encapsulation (e.g., liposomes, micelles, PLGA).
- Examination of brain-targeting agents (e.g., lactoferrin, transferrin) for enhanced delivery.
Main Results:
- Curcumin demonstrates significant therapeutic potential against AD in preclinical studies.
- Lipid nanocarriers, liposomes, micelles, and PLGA are effective carriers for curcumin.
- Conjugation with lactoferrin and transferrin improves targeted delivery across the BBB.
Conclusions:
- Curcumin holds great promise as a therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's disease.
- Overcoming the BBB remains a critical challenge, requiring optimized nanocarrier strategies.
- Further research is needed to translate these findings into effective clinical treatments for AD.
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