Nasal spray with gold nanoparticles delivers targeted treatment to the brain

Tiny gold particles that act as carriers for lithium can be delivered directly to the brain in the form of a nasal spray.

Developed by scientists at the Universit? Cattolica Rome campus/Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, the new nanotechnological device can be used for the treatment and prevention of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases.

Lithium is already in clinical use for manic-depressive syndrome, but in oral formulation it is not free of side effects. It is used to combat neuropsychiatric diseases such as bipolar disorder, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, and brain infections such as those caused by Herpes Simplex Virus type 1, which several recent studies have linked to an increased risk of neurological diseases.

Published in the journal Advanced Materials and already patented, the idea is the result of a study that demonstrated that it is possible to directly inhibit the activity of an enzyme that plays a key role in the development of these diseases (glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta, GSK-3?) directly in the brain by using lithium delivered by intranasally administered gold nanoparticles.

This innovative therapeutic approach achieves the same effects as orally administered lithium but using significantly lower concentrations of this ion and targeting it specifically to the brain, thereby reducing the risk of side effects.

Image source: Buonerba et al. (2025), Advanced Materials.