Chitosan-based nanocarriers in Alzheimer's disease therapy: recent developments and future perspectives
Dinesh Kumar Sharma1, Chandra Shekhar Prasad1
1School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, India.
Journal of Drug Targeting
|June 2, 2026
Summary
Chitosan nanoparticles offer a promising solution for Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment by overcoming the blood-brain barrier. These biodegradable systems enhance drug delivery to the brain, improving therapeutic efficacy for AD patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomaterials Science
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) presents significant challenges due to its complexity and the blood-brain barrier (BBB), limiting effective treatments.
- Conventional AD therapies offer symptomatic relief but suffer from poor absorption, short half-lives, and peripheral side effects.
- Nanoparticle (NP) drug delivery systems show potential, but non-biodegradable NPs are unsuitable for central nervous system (CNS) targeting.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review chitosan (CS)-based nanocarriers as advanced drug delivery systems for Alzheimer's disease.
- To examine the design, BBB penetration, drug loading, controlled release, and therapeutic efficacy of CS-based platforms.
- To highlight the advantages of CS-based systems for CNS drug delivery in AD.
Main Methods:
- Review of scientific literature on chitosan-based nanoparticles, nanogels, lipid nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, and nanoemulsions for AD treatment.
- Analysis of mechanisms for overcoming the blood-brain barrier (BBB) using CS-based systems.
- Evaluation of drug-loading capacity, controlled-release profiles, and therapeutic outcomes of CS-based delivery platforms.
Main Results:
- Chitosan-based nanoparticles demonstrate stability, biodegradability, and suitability for CNS drug delivery.
- These systems facilitate enhanced brain bioavailability and reduced systemic toxicity compared to conventional methods.
- CS-based platforms support intranasal delivery and the development of multifunctional, stimuli-responsive therapeutics.
Conclusions:
- Chitosan-based drug delivery systems represent a flexible and promising strategy for improving Alzheimer's disease treatment.
- These nanocarriers effectively address challenges associated with drug delivery across the BBB.
- CS-based platforms offer significant potential for advancing Alzheimer's disease therapeutics.
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