NANOSYSTEMS AS SELECTIVE VEHICLES

In the present invention, the development of various oil-in-water (O / W) nanoemulsions containing an oil phase or oil core, preferably selected from vitamin E or oleic acid, stabilized by a sphingolipid of the sphingomyelin type, and optionally other lipids such as phospholipids, cholesterol, octadecylamine, DOTAP (N- [1- (2,3-Dioleoyloxy) propyl] -N, N, N-trimethylammonium methyl-sulfate), and PEGylated derivatives (derivatives with polyethylene glycol), for use as a nanotech vehicle , in particular for the management of cancer and metastatic disease, is herein described. Said nanoemulsions can be functionalized with ligands capable of interacting or binding to receptors expressed on the cell membrane of tumor cells, and in particular capable of interacting or binding to receptors expressed on the membrane of primary and/or disseminated or metastatic tumor cells. Also, antitumor drugs or therapeutic biomolecules can be encapsulated in said nanoemulsions and, finally, contrast agents can be incorporated for their use in the in vivo diagnosis in said nanoemulsions.