Conjugated Polyelectrolytes: Illuminating the Path to Neurodegenerative Disorders Detection and Treatment

Conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) have gained extensive attention for their potential efficacy in protein misfolding disease (PMD) studies. This comprehensive review article explores the importance of CPEs in PMD research and treatment strategies. CPEs have unique features and capabilities, such as selective binding to disease-specific biomarkers like amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregates which allows for noninvasive imaging methods to detect and identify early pathological alterations. They also induce unique fluorescence responses upon interaction with Aβ aggregates, enabling real-time monitoring of aggregation kinetics. The exceptional selectivity of CPEs has been demonstrated by their strategic chemical modification, by conjugating them with certain specific ligands, enhancing their diagnostic precision. Thus, CPEs hold immense potential to serve in the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's due to their versatility.