Nanoparticle–chelator conjugates as inhibitors of amyloid-β aggregation and neurotoxicity: A novel therapeutic approach for Alzheimer disease

Oxidative stress and amyloid-β are considered major etiological and pathological factors in the initiation and promotion of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer disease (AD). Insomuch as causes of such oxidative stress, transition metals, such as iron and copper, which are found in high concentrations in the brains of AD patients and accumulate specifically in the pathological lesions, are viewed as key contributors to the altered redox state. Likewise, the aggregation and toxicity of amyloid-β is dependent upon transition metals. As such, chelating agents that selectively bind to and remove and/or “redox silence” transition metals have long been considered as attractive therapies for AD. However, the blood–brain barrier and neurotoxicity of many traditional metal chelators has limited their utility in AD or other neurodegenerative disorders. To circumvent this, we previously suggested that nanoparticles conjugated to iron chelators may have the potential to deliver chelators into the brain and overcome such issues as chelator bioavailability and toxic side-effects. In this study, we synthesized a prototype nanoparticle–chelator conjugate (Nano-N2PY) and demonstrated its ability to protect human cortical neurons from amyloid-β-associated oxidative toxicity. Furthermore, Nano-N2PY nanoparticle–chelator conjugates effectively inhibited amyloid-β aggregate formation. Overall, this study indicates that Nano-N2PY, or other nanoparticles conjugated to metal chelators, may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for AD and other neurodegenerative diseases associated with excess transition metals.