Innovative nanosystems for diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer

Abstract

The main goal of this thesis has been the engineering of innovative nanosystems of application in the treatment and molecular diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Sphingomyelin nanoemulsions (SNs) were selected for this purpose, and their composition adapted to mediate and efficient association of oncosuppressor miRNAs for development of anticancer gene therapies able to stop tumor growth and proliferation. Additionally, a procedure for developing 18F-radiolabelled SNs for imaging and diagnosis purposes was optimized, and validated by PET. In conclusion, SNs has been proved to be versatile nanosystems that can be adapted to different medical needs. SNs are efficient nanosystems for the delivery of innovative-targeted gene therapies, and can be successfully radiolabeled allowing whole-body read-outs by PET. Altogether, SNs are a promising platform for therapy and diagnosis of colorectal cancer, and have potential for further development of nanotheranostics.