Melanoma\u00a0is\u00a0a deadly form of skin cancer\u00a0that\u00a0is\u00a0typically\u00a0removed\u00a0surgically.\u00a0Now, researchers\u00a0publishing\u00a0in\u00a0ACS Nano\u00a0report\u00a0they\u00a0have developed a\u00a0potential\u00a0noninvasive treatment for melanoma in the form of\u00a0a stretchy,\u00a0heat-activated\u00a0patch\u00a0similar to\u00a0a bandage.\u00a0When\u00a0activated,\u00a0the patch\u00a0releases copper ions\u00a0that kill the underlying cancer cells and\u00a0prevent them\u00a0from spreading.\u00a0In\u00a0tests with mice, the researchers say the\u00a0patch\u00a0reduced\u00a0melanoma\u00a0lesions\u00a0without damaging surrounding tissue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Melanomas<\/a>\u00a0typically form\u00a0in the\u00a0outermost and middle layers of the skin. That makes\u00a0it\u00a0challenging to kill cancer cells while leaving the surrounding healthy tissue unscathed.\u00a0Recent advancements in nanotechnology\u00a0could result in\u00a0a\u00a0gentler, more targeted\u00a0option\u00a0for\u00a0skin cancer\u00a0therapy. One example is\u00a0laser-induced graphene\u00a0(a\u00a0laser-etched\u00a0porous\u00a0carbon material).\u00a0Researchers\u00a0Xin Li, Shi Chen,\u00a0Meijia\u00a0Gu and\u00a0Ruquan\u00a0Ye\u00a0took this material\u00a0and filled the\u00a0pores with\u00a0copper(II) oxide\u00a0and embedded\u00a0it in a stretchy\u00a0silicone polymer\u00a0to create\u00a0a\u00a0skin patch for\u00a0targeted\u00a0melanoma therapy.\u00a0<\/p>\n On its own, the patch is soft, stretchy, breathable on the skin, and chemically inert.\u00a0But\u00a0the\u00a0researchers hypothesized\u00a0that by\u00a0gently heating\u00a0the\u00a0patch,\u00a0it\u00a0would\u00a0release\u00a0copper ions\u00a0that\u00a0interact with cancer cells’ DNA\u00a0and\u00a0kill them through\u00a0oxidative stress. This pathway should also trigger an immune response that would\u00a0inhibit tumor cell migration\u00a0into other parts of the body\u00a0(metastasis<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n To\u00a0test the concept, the researchers\u00a0placed the patch\u00a0over melanoma cells cultured in the laboratory.\u00a0They\u00a0warmed\u00a0the\u00a0patch\u00a0to 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius)\u00a0with a low-power laser. In its\u00a0now-activated state, the patch\u00a0released\u00a0copper\u00a0ions into the\u00a0melanoma cells directly beneath it.\u00a0The\u00a0team found that\u00a0the copper ions killed most of the cultured\u00a0melanoma\u00a0cells\u00a0and\u00a0slowed\u00a0cell\u00a0movement.\u00a0<\/p>\n In\u00a0a preliminary 10-day animal study,\u00a0they\u00a0placed patches on mice with melanoma.\u00a0On days\u00a01 and\u00a05, the\u00a0patches were activated with\u00a0a laser\u00a0for\u00a0one\u00a0hour.\u00a0The treatment\u00a0reduced\u00a0melanoma lesions\u00a0by\u00a097%.\u00a0As predicted, tissue samples showed that\u00a0cancer\u00a0cells\u00a0had not\u00a0migrated beyond the\u00a0tumor\u00a0borders,\u00a0and copper\u00a0ions\u00a0had not accumulated in the organs or\u00a0blood.\u00a0<\/p>\n These\u00a0early\u00a0study results, combined with the\u00a0patch’s\u00a0reusability\u00a0and\u00a0ease of administration,\u00a0led the research team to\u00a0conclude that the technology could\u00a0someday be\u00a0used for\u00a0targeted,\u00a0safe\u00a0and efficient\u00a0melanoma treatment in humans.\u00a0<\/p>\n Source:<\/p>\n American Chemical Society<\/a><\/p>\n Journal reference:<\/p>\n