Researchers announced on Apr. 1 the development of a new heat-activated patch that may offer a noninvasive approach to treating melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. The findings were published in ACS Nano and describe how the patch releases copper ions when heated, killing cancer cells without harming surrounding tissue in tests with mice.
Melanoma is often treated surgically, but this can damage healthy tissue. The new method could provide a more targeted option for patients who need gentler therapy.
The research team, including Xin Li, Shi Chen, Meijia Gu and Ruquan Ye, created the patch using laser-induced graphene filled with copper(II) oxide and embedded it into stretchy silicone polymer. The material is soft and breathable on its own but becomes active when gently heated to 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius) using a low-power laser. In laboratory tests on cultured melanoma cells, the activated patch released copper ions that killed most of the cancer cells directly beneath it and slowed their movement.
A preliminary animal study involved placing patches on mice with melanoma lesions and activating them twice over ten days. Results showed a reduction in tumor size by 97 percent without signs of copper accumulation in organs or blood or spread of cancer beyond tumor borders.
The researchers said these early results suggest that the reusable patch could eventually be used as an efficient and safe treatment for melanoma in humans.
