Targeting Alzheimer's pathophysiology with carbon dots: from mechanisms to therapy

Alzheimer's disease continues to be a debilitating disorder, profoundly affecting the quality of life, despite decades of extensive research. The impermeability of the blood-brain barrier, multifactorial etiology of the disease and the repeated failures of single target therapy are the major contributors of this therapeutic stagnation. If there is a silver lining, it lies in the growing advancement of multi-targeted therapeutic approaches that address the complex pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease. In this context, carbon dots have emerged as highly promising, ultrasmall and biocompatible nanomaterials capable of traversing the blood-brain barrier and targeting various pathophysiologies of the disease. These include but are not limited to inhibition of abnormal protein aggregation, scavenging of reactive oxygen species and attenuation of neuroinflammatory processes. This review aims to critically synthesize the current body of research on carbon dots with particular emphasis on their mechanistic insights, surface chemistry driven targeting strategies and ligand free transportation mechanisms. The indulgence of photodynamic therapy in targeting carbon dots has also been touched upon. The key regulatory hurdles and translational gaps have been addressed that hinder their journey from bench to bedside. This review highlights the potential of carbon dots as intelligent nanoplatforms by integrating the molecular and pharmacological perspectives.