Nanomedicine in Neurodegeneration: The Role of Dendrimers in Alzheimer’s Disease

Over 30 million people suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD) all over the world, and many researchers suggest that the number could rise to about 115 million by 2050. Current treatments mainly consist of symptomatic relief through cholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonists; however, these agents do not prevent progression. Nanotechnology methods of drug delivery have now been seen as new therapies for Alzheimer's disease. Dendrimers, with nanosized molecules of unique structural properties, are in this case also found to improve solubility and bioavailability for the targeted delivery of therapeutic agents. More prominently, they might inhibit the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and tau protein, the two most destructive AD-related factors. However, a few challenges impede their clinical applications as dendrimers in treating AD, such as biocompatibility and toxicity concerns, the need for targeting specificity in drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier, stability for controlling kinetics in drug release, regulatory challenges, and costs for manufacturing. Thus, to design better dendrimers for therapeutic purposes, a deeper understanding of the mechanism of action of dendrimers is also required. In summary, dendrimers set out to diverge from treating symptoms of Alzheimer's disease to designing therapies that work against the pathophysiological processes involved in the disease. Dendrimers lead in that further research and improvement will enhance the potential for actual treatment.