Inhibition of Aβ Aggregation and Tau Phosphorylation with Functionalized Biomimetic Nanoparticles for Synergic Alzheimer's Disease Therapy

The main pathological mechanisms of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) are extracellular senile plaques caused by beta-amyloid (A beta) deposition and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles derived from hyperphosphorylated Tau protein (p-Tau). However, it is difficult to obtain a good curative effect because of the poor brain bioavailability of drugs, which is attributed to the blood-brain barrier (BBB) restriction and complicated brain conditions. Herein, HM-DK was proposed for synergistic therapy of AD by using hollow mesoporous manganese dioxide (HM) as a carrier to deliver an A beta-inhibiting peptide and a Dp-peptide inhibitor of Tau-related fibril formation synergistically. Inspired by 4T1 cancer cells promoting BBB penetration during brain metastasis, a prospective biomimetic nanocarrier (HM-DK@CM) encapsulated by 4T1 cell membranes was designed. After crossing the BBB, HM-DK@CM inhibited A beta aggregation and prevented Tau phosphorylation simultaneously. Moreover, by taking advantage of the catalase-like activity of HM, HM-DK@CM relieved oxidative stress and altered the microenvironment associated with the development of AD. Compared with the single therapeutic drug, HM-DK@CM restored nerve damage and improved AD mice's learning and memory abilities by decreasing A beta oligomer, p-Tau protein, and inflammation through various pathways for synergistic therapy, which has broad prospects for the effective treatment of AD.