Action mechanisms of curcumin in alzheimer’s disease and its brain targeted delivery

Abstract

AD is a chronic neurodegenerative disease. Many different signaling pathways, such as Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, ROS/JNK, and PI3K/Akt/mTOR are involved in Alzheimer’s disease and crosstalk between themselves. A promising treatment involves the uses of flavonoids, and one of the most promising is curcumin; however, because it has difficulty permeating the blood–brain barrier (BBB), it must be encapsulated by a drug carrier. Some of the most frequently studied are lipid nanocarriers, liposomes, micelles and PLGA. These carriers are further conjugated with brain-targeting agents such as lactoferrin and transferrin. In this review paper, curcumin and its therapeutic effects, which have been examined in vivo, are analyzed and then the delivery systems to the brain are addressed. Overall, the analysis of the literature revealed great potential for curcumin in treating AD and indicated the challenges that require further research.