Microneedle patch developed with a three-dimensional bioprinter for melanoma treatment

Scientists from three universities in Istanbul have developed a 3D-bioprinter-supported microneedle-based patch system that combines chemotherapy and photothermal therapy on the same platform for the treatment of melanoma, one of the most aggressive types of skin cancer.

A new-generation microneedle platform was developed within the Health Biotechnology Excellence Joint Application and Research Center (SABİOTEK), established in 2022 through the partnership of Yıldız Technical University (YTU), Marmara University, and Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa (IUC). Within the scope of projects supported by TÜBİTAK and the Presidency of the Health Institutes of Turkey (TÜSEB), three-dimensional bioprinter technology was utilized in the study led by Prof. Dr. Cem Bülent Üstündağ, a faculty member in the YTU Department of Bioengineering and Director of SABİOTEK.

Within the framework of the study titled "3D-Printed Microneedle Patch for the Treatment of Melanoma via Synergistic Chemotherapy and Photothermal Therapy," hydrogel-based microneedles were produced. Bringing together chemotherapy and photothermal therapy, the system aims to deliver the chemotherapeutic agent directly to the target region and release it in a controlled manner. The photothermal component converts light energy into heat, providing a local temperature increase in the tumor region, thereby aiming to reduce systemic side effects.

Following the completion of laboratory studies on cancer cells, preclinical studies are planned to be conducted in the upcoming stages of the research for the improved microneedle patch system.