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Disease mechanisms and translational barriers guide nanocarrier design for nose to brain delivery in Alzheimer's disease

Liao C, Sun D, Wang X

Discover nano, 2026

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with limited disease-modifying treatment options, partly because many therapeutic agents show insufficient brain exposure and dose-limiting systemic adverse effects after conventional administration. Nose-to-brain (N2B) delivery has emerged as a non-invasive strategy to transport therapeutics to the central nervous system through the olfactory and trigeminal pathways, thereby partially bypassing the blood-brain barrier. Recent advances in nanomedicine and biomaterial engineering have further improved this approach by enhancing drug stability, nasal residence, mucosal transport, and brain-targeting efficiency. This review examines nanocarrier-enabled N2B delivery strategies for AD from a mechanism-guided perspective, highlighting how AD-related pathological processes shape the selection of therapeutic cargos and formulation designs. We discuss recent progress in the intranasal delivery of repurposed small molecules, natural products, insulin-related agents, peptides and proteins, extracellular vesicles, antibodies, and nucleic acid-based therapeutics. We further summarize major nanocarrier and formulation platforms, including lipid-based systems, polymeric nanoparticles, micelles, extracellular vesicles, in situ gels, and device-assisted delivery technologies. Particular attention is given to the design parameters that influence N2B performance, including particle size distribution/PDI, surface charge, mucus…

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