Development of thioflavin-modified mesoporous silica framework for amyloid fishing

Amyloid beta peptide accumulation in the brain poses a serious threat during Alzheimer's disease. Various strategies to remove or disrupt these plaques with nanoparticles is an emerging area for the treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. The present work attempts to develop a novel strategy to remove the plaques using magnetic field by employing magnetic nanoparticles conjugated with a plaque-targeting ligand. Thioflavin-S (TF-S) was covalently linked to magnetic iron oxide incorporated mesoporous silica, SBA-15 and the material was characterized using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. This magnetic conjugate (IO-SBA-TF-S) was found to display the ability to remove in vitro, KLVFF peptide, a recognition motif in β-amyloid that has been implicated in plaque formation. This system represents a potential smart system that could herald in the next generation therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.