TIANJIN, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have developed a nanomedicine specifically for women with Alzheimer's disease.
A research team from Tianjin University's School of Life Sciences and the Tianjin Medical University General Hospital developed the nanomedicine, and the team's work has been published in the Nano Today journal.
Alzheimer's disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive degradation of memory and cognitive function. Studies have shown that women are at greater risk of developing Alzheimer's than men, and there is also a notable gender discrepancy in the progression of Alzheimer's, with rates of disease progression and mortality being two to three times higher among women.
Research has indicated that the significant decline in estrogen levels in women after menopause may be the reason women are at greater risk of developing Alzheimer's. Estrogen plays a vital role in safeguarding the female central nervous system, promoting neuronal growth and differentiation, and maintaining brain redox homeostasis by binding to specific receptors. Once women reach menopause, long-term estrogen deficiency induces neurodegeneration and aggravates cognitive decline.
The research team developed a multi-functional nanomedicine utilizing plant-derived estrogen glycyrrhetinic acid for the targeted treatment of postmenopausal female Alzheimer's disease. The nanomedicine is capable of activating neuroprotective signaling pathways mediated by specific estrogen receptors, thereby improving cognitive functions affected by estrogen deficiency.
The research team is now screening more precise nanomedicines for preclinical research. ■
