Hierarchical adhesive hydrogel microparticles with galantamine hydrobromide encapsulation for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common age-related degenerative disease. Galantamine hydrobromide (GAH) is an acetylcholine inhibitor that can alleviate memory impairment caused by AD. In this investigation, we developed a novel microcapsule (Hydrogel-GAH) comprising sodium carboxymethylcellulose and mesoporous silica nanocarriers as the core material and sodium alginate and polydopamine as the shell-encapsulating GAH. These microcapsules are designed for gradually slowing the release of GAH in the small intestine, facilitating targeted drug delivery, reducing the frequency of patient dosing, improving the efficiency of drug administration, and improving patient compliance. These findings suggest that hydrogel microcapsules provides an ideal drug delivery bridge for AD treatment via oral administration. • Hydrogel-GAH microparticles could sustainably release GAH in the intestine and mitigate its gastric side effects. • Hydrogel-GAH microparticles showed reduced dosing frequency, significant therapeutic efficacy, and desirable biosafety. • Hydrogel-GAH microparticles were promising drug delivery systems, showing the potential value for clinical translation. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and is the most common type of dementia in aged individuals. Galantamine hydrobromide (GAH) is an approved medication for AD that has been shown to significantly enhance cognitive function, effectively manage behavioral symptoms, and improve performance in essential daily activities. However, the side effects of these drugs include nausea and vomiting, significant fluctuations in blood concentration, and poor patient compliance. Therefore, improving the route of administration and enhancing therapeutic efficacy are major research focuses. Here, we propose the use of hierarchically structured hydrogel-encapsulated mesoporous silica nanocarriers (MSNs) to encapsulate GAH, with the goal of minimizing adverse reactions in the stomach. By enabling the slow release of the drug over an extended period, these hydrogels aim to reduce the frequency of dosing, thereby improving the efficiency of drug administration and enhancing patient compliance. Owing to these properties, drug-carrying microcapsules are capable of achieving optimal drug delivery and have emerged as excellent candidates for AD therapy. We believe that this technology has the potential to significantly impact clinical treatment.