A research team from CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials and the Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering (DEMaC) at the University of Aveiro (UA) has developed a flexible transdermal device with magnetic ceramic microneedles, as well as the respective production method, both of which have already been patented nationally.

The device can be used for the treatment of skin cancer by localized hyperthermia, in a minimally invasive and virtually painless way. The microneedle array can precisely incorporate and administer, through the skin (transdermal administration), chemotherapeutic, immunotherapeutic and other drugs intended for the treatment of pre-cancerous and cancerous skin lesions, thus serving as a platform for their localized and controlled release/distribution.

The device can also be used for other therapeutic purposes, as an alternative to enteral drug administration (tablets or injections), providing local and systemic (general body) treatment with lower dosage and reduced unwanted side effects, overcoming the limitations of conventional transdermal patches.

The technology consists of a matrix of porous magnetic bioceramic microneedles, fixed to a flexible and adhesive polymeric support, designed for direct application to skin lesions. The flexibility of the support allows the device to adapt to the curvature of the body, ensuring that the microneedles remain correctly inserted in the skin during the application time, which can vary from a few hours to several days.

The research team includes: Paula Torres (CICECO/DEMaC researcher), Tânia Carvalho (doctoral student), Manuel Martins da Silva (coordinator of the PRÉ ON - MEDICAL DEVICES Project Structure), Ana Filipa Rodrigues (UA alumna), and Susana Olhero (DEMaC professor and CICECO member).

“The microdevice allows for the treatment of cancerous and pre-cancerous lesions located in the superficial layers of the skin through localized hyperthermia, avoiding the need for surgical excision,” explains the team. “This approach is possible thanks to the ability of the magnetic microneedles to heat up when an external alternating magnetic field is applied,” they clarify. The principle is simple: “The use of localized hyperthermia, which consists of increasing the temperature at the site of the lesion to be treated to values between 39°C and 46°C, leads to the death of malignant cells without affecting the surrounding benign cells.”

"This strategy, therefore, constitutes a promising way to eradicate skin cancer located in the most superficial layers of the skin, with good cosmetic results," they conclude.

In order to protect the results of R&D developed by UA researchers, this technology was the subject of a patent application, accompanied by the UA's specialized team, UACOOPERA, and this was recently granted at the national level.

Domestically, the protection of R&D results is ensured by UACOOPERA, which, through its specialized Intellectual Property team, identifies innovations with protection potential, conducts the respective processes, and promotes their valorization and integration into society.

The new technology was developed within the scope of the FlexMicroDerm project - Development of flexible microdevices based on composite biocement microneedles for transdermal drug administration, led by Paula Torres and funded by the FCT, with the support of COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029274), within the scope of SAICT - Support System for Scientific and Technological Research (PTDC/BTM-MAT/29274/2017), a project that was completed in 2022.