Transition‐metal dyshomeostasis has been identified as a critical pathogenic factor for the aggregates of amyloid‐beta (Aβ) peptide, which is associated with the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Excessive transition‐metal ions, especially copper ion (Cu2+), catalyze the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), triggering neuroinflammation and neuronal cell apoptosis. Therefore, developing a robust chelating agent can not only efficiently bind toxic Cu2+, but also simultaneously scavenge the over‐generated ROS that is urgently needed for AD treatment. In this work, a 2D niobium carbide (Nb2C) MXene‐based nano‐chelator is constructed and its performance in suppressing Cu2+‐induced accumulation of aggregated Aβ peptide and acting as a nanozyme (MXenzyme) with powerful antioxidant property to scavenge excess cellular ROS is explored, and the intrinsic mechanism is revealed by computational simulation. Importantly, the benign photothermal effect of Nb2C MXenzyme demonstrates the facilitated permeability of the blood–brain barrier under near‐infrared laser irradiation, conquering limitations of the most conventional anti‐AD therapeutic agents. This work not only demonstrates a favorable strategy for combating AD by engineering Nb2C MXenzyme‐based neuroprotective nano‐chelator, but also paves a distinct insight for extending the biomedical applications of MXenes in treating transition‐metal dyshomeostasis‐and ROS‐mediated central nervous system diseases.
A multifunctional targeted nanoprobe composed of ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with surface-conjugated Angiopep-2 was successfully constructed for targeted MR imaging of intracranial glioblastoma.
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