Irene Palacio, en su laboratorio

A team from the Material Science Institute of Madrid, the University of the Punjab (India), and the Autonomous University of Madrid lead a study demonstrating the potential of two-dimensional nanomaterials for diagnosing and treating neurodegenerative diseases. A review published in 'Ageing Research Reviews' highlights all these nanomaterials still have to offer in treating these conditions.

Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are some of the most well-known neurodegenerative diseases. These are characterized by the progressive deterioration of the motor and cognitive abilities of those who suffer from them. Currently, the only available treatments "are symptomatic, they only provide relief," but nanomaterials (materials on the nanometer scale, equivalent to one-thousandth of a millimeter) "are promising candidates for the early diagnosis and treatment of these conditions," explains Irene Palacio, a researcher at ICMM-CSIC and one of the authors of the review.

The ICMM-CSIC team, led by researcher José Ángel Martín Gago, explains: There are many challenges when approaching neurodegenerative diseases, but two-dimensional nanomaterials can play an important role: "Their use in biomedicine is being studied, especially for drug delivery, because among their advantages are a greater drug loading capacity, the possibility of controlled release, as well as a longer half-life and stability. Moreover, they are biocompatible, biodegradable materials, and generally have low toxicity," Palacio says.

Last year, the researcher worked on a graphene-based biosensor for the ultrasensitive detection of the hepatitis C virus. This, she claims, can also be applied to neurodegenerative diseases: "Biosensors usually consist of three parts: a biological detection component, a physicochemical detector or transducer, and an electronic signal processing system," describes the expert, who continues: "We use nanomaterials in the physicochemical detector part, where they bind to biomolecules." As these materials conduct electricity very well, they can amplify signals, improving the performance of the biosensor: "They increase sensitivity and reduce limitations," the scientist confirms.

"In recent years, several types of 2D nanomaterials have been developed as promising candidates in tissue engineering," Palacio also mentions, explaining that the characteristics mentioned earlier give these materials "unique physicochemical properties and exceptional biocompatibility."

The teams acknowledge the challenges ahead, such as those related to the behavior, stability, production, and cost of these nanomaterials. Still, they remain committed to the development of these new techniques. "Although current studies on the therapy and diagnosis of 2D nanomaterials for neurodegenerative diseases are still in their infancy, upcoming experiments will further demonstrate their potential in this field," the researcher concludes.

Bibliographic reference

Samir Kumar Beura, Abhishek Ramachandra Panigrahi, Pooja Yadav, Irene Palacio, Elena Casero, Carmen Quintana, Jyoti Singh, Manoj Kumar Singh, Jose A. Martín Gago, and Sunil Kumar Singh. *Harnessing two-dimensional nanomaterials for diagnosis and therapy in neurodegenerative diseases: Advances, challenges and prospects.* Ageing Research Reviews. DOI: j.arr.2024.102205 

Tuesday, August 27, 2024 - 10:36