New Skin Patch Delivers Vaccines and Drugs in Under 1 Minute

There are roughly 100,000 new cases of melanoma diagnosed each year, and the deadly form of skin cancer claims 20 American lives each day. However, a recent EurekAlert! article discussed a new strategy for combatting melanoma with a skin patch that delivers medication. The patch contains a unique chemical coating and microneedles that distribute medication that kills melanoma cells within one minute. The device tested well on human and mice skin samples, and is a step toward developing a vaccine to treat melanoma. The technique could also have applications for other vaccines where topical ointments don’t cut it, and syringes aren’t necessary.