Chitosan-based nanocarriers in Alzheimer's disease therapy: recent developments and future perspectives

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurological condition that worsens with time and causes behavioural problems, memory loss, and cognitive decline. It is a major global health concern. Alzheimer's complexity and the blood-brain barrier (BBB) limit effective disease-modifying treatments despite extensive research. The primary goal of conventional pharmacotherapies is to relieve symptoms; however, they frequently have low absorption, a short half-life, and peripheral adverse effects. The use of anti-Alzheimer medications in nanoparticles (NPs) is a potential remedy for these issues. Although many NPs are biocompatible and non-toxic, many are not biodegradable, making them unsuitable for CNS targeting. Chitosan (CS)-based NPs stand out among polymeric nanocarriers as stable, biodegradable delivery systems for central nervous system drugs. In this review, we examine the design, mechanisms of BBB penetration, drug-loading capacity, controlled-release behaviour, and therapeutic efficacy of CS-based delivery platforms, including nanoparticles, nanogels, lipid nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, nanoemulsions, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitor-loaded systems. Furthermore, the benefits of CS-based systems, including improved brain bioavailability, reduced toxicity, intranasal delivery, and support for multifunctional and stimuli-responsive therapeutics, are highlighted. All things considered, chitosan-based drug delivery systems offer a flexible and promising strategy for enhancing AD treatment results.