Aptamer conjugated polydopamine-coated gold nanoparticles as a dual-action nanoplatform targeting beta-amyloid peptide for Alzheimer's disease therapy

The accumulation and deposits of amyloid beta (A beta) peptide are an important pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The development of multifunctional agents that can effectively clear A beta aggregates is one of the potential strategies to treat AD. Herein, aptamer conjugated polydopamine-coated gold nanoparticles (Au@PDA-Apt NPs) for targeting A beta(1-40) peptides were designed. Au@PDA-Apt NPs exhibited a strong capability to inhibit A beta(1-40) monomer fibrillization and disaggregate mature A beta(1-40) fibrils. In addition, Au@PDA-Apt NPs could effectively alleviate A beta(1-40)-triggered cytotoxicity. Importantly, AFM quantitative nanomechanical measurements indicated that Au@PDA-Apt NPs could prevent cell membrane damage and decrease of cell mechanical properties caused by A beta(1-40) aggregation. Taken together, this study provided a new dual-action nanoplatform for A beta-targeted AD therapy.