Chiral ZnO Nanoparticles Synergistically Inhibiting Fibrillization and Disaggregating of Amyloid-β Fibrils for Attenuation Neurotoxicity

Abstract

Amyloid aggregations are closely associated with various neurodegenerative diseases, and Amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition is recognized as the core in pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Several approaches targeting of Aβ have been developed that focus on the inhibition of Aβ aggregation or elimination of Aβ fibril. Chirality is intrinsic to life and plays important role in biological processes. Chiral effect provides a pioneering strategy for therapeutic applications. In this study, small size chiral zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) with excellent dispersibility and stability were synthesized, and exhibited chirality-dependent inhibition of fibrillization and disaggregation of Aβ fibrils. Cellular experiments revealed that chiral ZnO NPs can effectively alleviate Aβ-induced cytotoxicity and protect neuronal cells. These findings demonstrate that chiral ZnO NPs hold substantial potential for anti-amyloidosis and underscore the promising of chiral nanomaterials in biomedical field.

Keywords

Amyloid-β / Alzheimer’s disease / Chiral ZnO nanoparticle (NP)

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RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Jilin University, The Editorial Department of Chemical Research in Chinese Universities and Springer-Verlag GmbH