3D-Printed Dissolving Patch Could Treat Skin Cancer Without Injections

A team at Queen's University Belfast has built a 3D-printed dissolving patch that could change how doctors treat localized skin cancer. Instead of repeated topical creams or injections, the patch uses microneedles so fine they do not draw blood to deliver two anti-cancer drugs directly into the affected tissue.

The two drugs are curcumin and 5-fluorouracil. Curcumin is water-repellent; 5-fluorouracil is water-soluble. Because they release from the dissolving resin matrix at different speeds, the patch achieves a staggered release: curcumin arrives in an initial burst before tapering off over 48 hours, while 5-fluorouracil diffuses more steadily and clears within 24 hours. That timing lets one patch deliver both a fast-acting and a longer-acting drug without either overwhelming the other.

The manufacturing step is also simpler than existing microneedle production. The team prints both drugs directly into the resin in a single build. That means fewer manufacturing steps, higher drug loading, and no sharps waste afterward since the needles dissolve completely after application.

Professor Ryan F. Donnelly, who oversaw the work, sees dissolving microneedle systems as a more patient-friendly alternative to current options: "Skin cancer is a major public health concern, and current treatments often require repeated topical applications, invasive procedures, or can cause unwanted side effects. Dissolving microneedle systems could provide a more patient-friendly, simpler and less painful way to deliver cancer medicines."

The research team had to solve a real printing problem during development. Curcumin absorbs light at the same wavelength the printer uses to cure resin, so the team had to lengthen exposure times for curcumin-loaded needles. Even with longer exposure, combined-drug patches came out slightly less precise than single-drug ones: curcumin retention dropped from 92 percent in single-drug needles to roughly 75 percent in the co-loaded version. Both drugs are also light-sensitive in storage, so any finished patch would need light-protected, controlled storage to remain stable.

Testing is still at the lab and ex vivo stage. The team used dissolution baths, Parafilm, and animal tissue to validate performance. There is no cell toxicity, irritation, or tumor-response data yet, and the researchers note that because drug-loaded dissolving microneedles count as combination products under regulatory frameworks, early regulator engagement and validated manufacturing would be needed before any human trial could begin.

The lead researchers, including Rutuja N. Meshram, see the approach extending beyond skin cancer to other delivery formats, including vaccines. The underlying principle is the same: solve the drug stability and release timing problem at the manufacturing stage rather than after the device is built.