Curcumin derivatives: Aβ-ligands as potential diagnostic and therapeutic tools for alzheimer's disease

One of the characteristic features of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is represented by the overexpression of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides, which play a central role in the onset and in the development of the pathology. The targeting of these peptides and aggregates is considered a possible strategy for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic tools for AD. The ability of curcumin to target Aβ plaques and to interfere with Aβ peptides interaction processes, along with other activities also correlated to AD, has already been shown. This review focuses on the synthesis of chemically stable and/or radiolabelled curcumin derivatives and their characterization as active compounds for the treatment/diagnosis of AD. Moreover, their use as potential diagnostic and therapeutic tools, alone or inserted in opportunely functionalized nanoparticles with ability to bind amyloid deposit, stain plaques and pass the blood brain barrier (BBB), is described.