Graphene Nanostructure Pharmaceutical Composition for Neurodegenerative Disease Treatment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, are ineffective in fundamentally addressing protein misfolding and fibril formation, with existing drugs being toxic or having limited inhibitory activity and no long-term therapeutic benefit.

Innovation Solution

A pharmaceutical composition incorporating graphene nanostructures as an active ingredient, which inhibits fibril formation and protein misfolding without toxicity, and can be targeted to neuronal proteins using functional groups, allowing for photothermal inhibition of fibrillation and aggregation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional drugs are used to treat neurodegenerative diseases, then symptoms are temporarily reduced, but the diseases progress and drugs become ineffective

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetherapeutic effectivenessVSAvoidduration of drug effect

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The graphene nanostructure is administered before protein misfolding and fibril formation occur, preventing the pathological process from initiating. This preliminary intervention stops the disease progression at its source rather than merely suppressing symptoms after they manifest, thereby extending the duration of therapeutic effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The graphene nanostructure's inherent photothermal properties, which could potentially cause heating, are converted into a beneficial mechanism for selectively destroying misfolded proteins and fibrils through light irradiation. This transforms a potential harmful effect into a targeted therapeutic mechanism that enhances long-term effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Reliability

If Congo Red is used to inhibit fibril formation, then fibril formation is inhibited, but the drug is highly toxic to the body

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinhibitory activityVSAvoidtoxicity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the chemical and physical parameters of the active ingredient from conventional small-molecule drugs (like Congo Red) to graphene nanostructures with distinct nanoscale properties. This parameter change includes differences in size, surface area, electronic structure, and photothermal characteristics, which collectively provide comparable or superior inhibitory activity with dramatically reduced toxicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The graphene nanostructure functions as a composite material system where the carbon-based nanosheet structure provides both the inhibitory activity against protein misfolding and the photothermal conversion capability. This composite nature allows simultaneous achievement of therapeutic effectiveness and biocompatibility, unlike Congo Red which achieves only one function at the cost of high toxicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional drugs are formulated with uniform size and shape, then manufacturing is simplified, but they lack advantage in treating diseases in terms of entropy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveformulation simplicityVSAvoidtherapeutic effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The graphene nanostructure preparation method produces particles with dynamic size distribution rather than uniform size. This dynamic heterogeneity in particle size, shape, and surface properties creates entropy that prevents crystallization and aggregation, while the particles maintain colloidal stability and biological activity. The manufacturing process embraces rather than eliminates this variability, converting it into a therapeutic advantage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Measurement precision

If a drug targets specific neuronal proteins, then treatment precision is improved, but the drug may accumulate in specific tissues causing toxicity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetargeting precisionVSAvoidtissue accumulation toxicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The graphene nanostructure acts as an intermediary carrier that can be functionalized with targeting moieties to recognize specific neuronal proteins. The large surface area of the nanosheet allows attachment of targeting molecules without compromising the core graphene structure's biocompatibility. This intermediary role enables precise targeting while the nanoscale dimensions and surface chemistry prevent harmful accumulation in tissues.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10772910B2Graphene nanostructure-based pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating neurodegenerative diseases

Publication Date: 2020.09.15 SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY R&DB FOUNDATION

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating neurodegenerative diseases, the pharmaceutical composition including a graphene nanostructure as an active ingredient.