Light-Induced Chiral Iron Copper Selenide Nanoparticles Prevent β-Amyloidopathy In Vivo

The accumulation and deposition of beta-amyloid (A beta) plaques in the brain is considered a potential pathogenic mechanism underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD). Chiral l/d-FexCuySe nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated that interfer with the self-assembly of A beta 42 monomers and trigger the A beta 42 fibrils in dense structures to become looser monomers under 808 nm near-infrared (NIR) illumination. d-FexCuySe NPs have a much higher affinity for A beta 42 fibrils than l-FexCuySe NPs and chiral Cu2-xSe NPs. The chiral FexCuySe NPs also generate more reactive oxygen species (ROS) than chiral Cu2-xSe NPs under NIR-light irradiation. In living MN9D cells, d-NPs attenuate the adhesion of A beta 42 to membranes and neuron loss after NIR treatment within 10 min without the photothermal effect. In-vivo experiments showed that d-FexCuySe NPs provide an efficient protection against neuronal damage induced by the deposition of A beta 42 and alleviate symptoms in a mouse model of AD, leading to the recovery of cognitive competence.