Cannabidiol and pBDNF Cotreatment Attenuates Pathological Symptoms and Improves Cognition in 3 month-Old 5XFAD Mice

The marginal efficiency observed with the existing therapies in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) can be attributed to the timing of the treatment. The beneficiaries of symptomatic or disease-modifying therapy for AD are mild-cognitive-impairment (MCI) or late-stage dementia patients. At this stage, the pathological features are already advanced and irreversible, as the shift in biomarker levels starts in a continuum 15–20 years prior. Early intervention, therefore, is a plausible solution to this issue. Consequently, we selected 3 month-old 5XFAD AD mice as an early intervention model. We administered cannabidiol (CBD) and plasmid brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) encapsulated in liposome nanoparticles, functionalized with penetratin and mannose for brain-targeting, as a therapy. Neuroinflammation is emerging as a key driver of AD progression by its interaction with amyloid plaques and phosphorylated tau. Therefore, CBD, which is anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective, was used. BDNF, a synaptic modulation and cognitive maintenance agent, is declined and, thus, aggravates pathology and cognition in AD. BDNF expressed from the liposome nanoparticles supplements the reduced BDNF and aids in ameliorating AD pathology. We found four weekly doses of our formulation reduced the amyloid burden by 3.04-fold ( p -value < 0.0001), declined pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α by 2.51-fold ( p -value < 0.0001), IL-1β by 2.34-fold ( p -value < 0.0001) and microglial activation by 2.15-fold ( p -value < 0.0001) than saline controls. In addition, it increased the synaptic markers level and promoted adult hippocampal neurogenesis, eventually improving cognitive functions. These findings suggest the use of CBD and pBDNF has a potential therapeutic combination for AD management if intervened early.