A Review on Nanotechnology in Diagnosis and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive mental deterioration that can occur in middle or old age, due to generalized degeneration of the brain. It is the commonest cause of dementia. The currently available therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease only act to lower its symptoms. Therefore, the nanotechnology is advancing molecular detection, drug discovery, delivery and monitoring for a number of ever challenging human diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. In this paper, we present the role of nanotechnology in the development and improvement of techniques for early diagnosis and effective treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The nano diagnostic methods reported and compared in this paper include both of in vitro and in vivo approaches. The nano treatment methods for AD are numerous. They are categorized in this report under neuroprotective methods and nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery. Considering that the AD is a multi-factorial disease with several pathogenetic mechanisms and pathways, a multifunctional nanotechnology approach will be needed to target its main molecular culprits.