{
  "id": 2768831,
  "title": "3D-printed patch aims to improve skin cancer treatment",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/3d-printed-patch-aims-to-improve-skin-cancer-treatment",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-23T10:12:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTE News",
    "slug": "rte-news",
    "url": "https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2026/0823/1588904-3d-patch/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Researchers in Belfast have created a dissolvable 3D-printed patch to enhance the treatment of localized skin cancer. The patch, developed by scientists from Queen's University Belfast, incorporates microscopic microneedles capable of penetrating the skin's outer layer without drawing blood. These needles are designed to release two anti-cancer drugs - curcumin and 5-fluorouracil - directly into the affected area for potential use in patients with localized skin cancer. By delivering medicine specifically to the targeted region, the patch offers a more precise method of drug delivery, potentially reducing the need for repeated topical treatments or invasive procedures like injections, thereby minimizing pain and discomfort for patients. Professor Dimitrios A Lamprou, chair of Biofabrication and Advanced Manufacturing at Queen's University Belfast, explained that skin cancer is a significant public health concern, and current treatment methods often necessitate repeated applications, invasive procedures, or may cause adverse side effects. Minimally invasive microneedle systems that dissolve post-use could provide a more patient-friendly, straightforward, and less painful approach to delivering cancer medications. The patch was created using a one-step 3D-printing method, enabling the direct incorporation of anti-cancer drugs into a printable resin before the microneedle patch's fabrication. This technique ensures that the drugs are evenly distributed within the microneedles during production, leading to improved skin penetration, higher drug concentration, and a controlled release mechanism over time. The researchers believe that this approach could pave the way for future advancements in medicine delivery technologies, including vaccines and other life-saving drugs. Rutuja N Meshram, a final-year PhD student, emphasized that advanced manufacturing technologies like 3D-printing are transforming medicine by enabling precise drug delivery and promoting personalized, patient-friendly healthcare. The study, published in Advanced Healthcare Materials and supported by the Joint Commissioner, Education Branch, Social Welfare in Maharashtra, India, holds the potential to lead to more personalized treatments and safer, more accessible healthcare technologies in the future.",
  "summary": "A new dissolvable 3D-printed patch has been developed by researchers in Belfast with the aim of improving treatment for localised skin cancer.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}