Selenium-Doped 3D Porous Molybdenum Carbide Nanospheres Improve Mitochondrial Function by Reducing Oxidative Stress in Alzheimer’s Disease

Due to the complex pathogenesis and many pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a single target drug shows a limited therapeutic effect. Therefore, the search for multifunctional and multitarget drugs is of great significance for the treatment of AD. Oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction plays a key role in the pathogenesis of AD. Besides, it can induce the abnormal production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which leads to nerve cells death. Here, we report a selenium-doped three-dimensional (3D) porous molybdenum carbide nanospheres (Se@Mo 2 C) that can effectively scavenge reactive oxygen species and reduce the damage of mitochondrial function and apoptosis caused by oxidative stress. In addition, it can significantly decrease Aβ deposition, inhibit the overactivation of microglia, reduce inflammatory response, and reduce the production of pro-inflammatory factors. In vivo experiments showed that Se@Mo 2 C could effectively alleviate the cognitive dysfunction in APP/PS1 transgenic AD mice without obvious side effects. In summary, the experimental results show that the multitarget drug Se@Mo 2 C has great advantages in the treatment of AD.