Nanoparticles have the potential to block neurodegenerative proteins that impede cognitive function, which contribute to the onset of disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Neurodegenerative proteins are thought to play a role in depositing fibrous plaques on the brain that damage synapses, leading to a decline in cognitive capabilities. The promise of nanoparticles is that they could potentially stop the growth of neuron-blocking fibrils better than drug compounds, due to their capacity to mimic some biological functions as well as their ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. The challenges are many – including finding a nanoparticle that is effective yet also biocompatible and nontoxic – and some nanoparticles have been shown to actually promote or accelerate fibrillation rather than prevent it. Now a team of researchers from the University of Michigan, United States, and Kyungpook National University, South Korea, has resolved at least some of nanotech’s shortcomings in tackling amyloid-beta peptides by using cadmium telluride nanoparticles with a tetrahedral shape and negative charge. Although these nanoparticles are not biocompatible and are toxic in the body, they were shown to produce “strong inhibition of amyloid-beta fibrillation.” According to the study, “Despite the fact that CdTe [nanoparticles] are cytotoxic and cannot be used in vivo, this model demonstrates that [nanoparticles] can reach equal or better efficiency of fibrillation inhibition than the best-known proteins.” The team is now working to develop nanoparticles that are both successful fibril fighters and nontoxic.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=nanotechnology-protein-amyloid-alzheimers