Mona El-Banna

Aluminum (Al) is a common environmental metal with high human exposure potential through water, food, air, medications, and dust, linked to neurotoxic effects like speech and motor issues, tremors, dyspraxia, and cognitive decline. Research highlights Al's impact on neurobehavioral and neurophysiological health, leading to inflammation, cell apoptosis, and lower brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. As the brain is especially vulnerable to Al toxicity due to elevated oxidative stress markers such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation (LPO), antioxidant therapies could offer protection against this oxidative damage. Alpha-lipoic acid (α-LA), a natural antioxidant, shows promise in mitigating brain oxidative injury, though its low solubility, short half-life, and degradation susceptibility pose challenges. Nanotechnology, particularly nanoparticles (NPs), can overcome these limitations by enhancing α-LA's stability, bioavailability, and therapeutic efficacy. Chitosan (Cs), a biodegradable, non-toxic polysaccharide, and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNPs), stable at various temperatures, provide effective delivery options, improving drug stability.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects memory, thinking, and behavior. It is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 60-80% of cases. Alzheimer's is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques and tau tangles in the brain, leading to the degeneration of neurons and synaptic loss. Early symptoms include mild memory loss and confusion, which gradually progress to severe cognitive decline, difficulty in communication, disorientation, and loss of independent functioning.The exact cause of Alzheimer's remains unclear, but risk factors include age, genetics, family history, and lifestyle. Current treatments focus on managing symptoms and slowing disease progression, though there is no cure. Research is ongoing to better understand the mechanisms behind Alzheimer's and develop more effective therapies. Early detection and intervention, combined with lifestyle changes such as mental stimulation, exercise, and a healthy diet, may help reduce the risk or delay the onset of the disease.

The symptoms of menopause can be upsetting, especially as they occur at a time when women have essential roles in society, within the family, and at the workplace. Hormonal fluctuations that begin during the menopausal transition affect many biological systems.Accordingly, the signs and symptoms of menopause include: metabolic disorders; central nervous system-related disorders; cardiovascular and musculoskeletal changes, urogenital and skin atrophy. The physiological basis of these manifestations is emerging as complex and related to declining estrogen and progesterone and rising follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).

Insulin is an important physiological anabolic agent known, for enhancing the synthesis and storage of lipids, carbohydrates, and protein, and preventing their breakdown and liberation into circulation. It plays an important role in cell nutrient uptake, usage, and storage. Insulin resistance is the main characteristic of type 2 diabetes; it is a condition where cells fail to adequately respond to insulin. It is caused by different alterations, including a decrease in the number of insulin receptors and their catalytic activity, increased Ser/Thr phosphorylation, an increase in Tyr phosphatase activity, mainly PTP-1B, which causes receptor and IRS dephosphorylation, a decrease in PI3K and Akt kinases activity, and defects in GLUT-4 expression and function.

An inflammatory process in the CNS is believed to play an important role in the pathway leading to neuronal cell death in a number of neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, prion diseases, multiple sclerosis and HIV-dementia. The inflammatory response is mediated by the activated microglia, the resident immune cells of the CNS, which normally respond to neuronal damage and remove the damaged cells by phagocytosis. Activation of microglia is a hallmark of brain pathology. A large number of studies support the hypothesis that n-3 LC-PUFAs or their products are candidates for limiting neuroinflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids may play a role in nervous system activity, improve cognitive development and reference memory-related learning, increase neuroplasticity of nerve membranes, contribute to synaptogenesis and are involved in synaptic transmission. The nanomaterials that have potential to improve diagnosis and therapy of neurodegenerative disorders. Nanoformulation can frustrate many confrontation problems such as stability, solubility, and bioavailability of treated material