Multifunctional Liposomes Targeting Amyloid- Oligomers for Early Diagnosis and Therapy of Alzheimer's Disease

Early detection and treatment are crucial for Alzheimer's disease (AD) management. Current diagnostic and therapeutic methods focus on late-stage amyloid fibrils and plaques, overlooking toxic soluble amyloid beta oligomers (A beta Os) accumulating early in AD. A multifunctional liposome-based platform is designed for early diagnosis and therapy of AD, leveraging a novel self-assembled cyclic d,l-alpha-peptide (CP-2) that selectively targets A beta Os. Biocompatible CP-2 conjugated liposomes (CP-2-LPs) effectively disrupt A beta aggregation and mitigate A beta-mediated toxicity in human neuroblastoma cells. In transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans AD models, CP-2-LPs significantly outperformed free CP-2 by improving cognitive and behavioral functions, extending lifespan, and reducing toxic A beta O levels. Intravenous injection of fluorescently labeled CP-2-LPs reveals effective blood-brain barrier penetration, with significantly higher brain fluorescence in transgenic mice than WT, enabling precise diagnosis. These findings underscore CP-2-LPs as a valuable tool for early detection and targeted therapy in AD.