Exosome-mediated dual drug delivery of curcumin and methylene blue for enhanced cognitive function and mechanistic elucidation in Alzheimer’s disease therapy

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the neurodegenerative disorders, characterized by complex pathogenic mechanisms, including the deposition of beta-amyloid protein and hyperphosphorylation of Tau protein. There is currently a lack of effective therapeutic approaches for AD treatment. The aim of this study was to design exosomes (EXO) as a specifically designed carrier able to carry Curcumin (Cur) and Methylene Blue (MB) to improve cognitive function and to elucidate its underlying mechanisms. Our study results indicated that EXO-Cur+MB inhibited Tau protein phosphorylation by activating the AKT/GSK-3β pathway, while reversing cognitive dysfunction in AD mice by reducing apoptosis induced by okadaic acid (OA). Thus, our results suggested that EXO-Cur+MB would be of potential use for the treatment of AD.