New material for surgical dressings can be heated to kill melanoma cells but not other cells around it
Source: News Medical Life Science, July 2022
Scientists from the University of Nottingham have combined graphene oxide, elastin, and ethanol to develop a new method to make this material conductive so it can be heated to kill melanoma cells but not other cells around it. The research has been published in Advanced Functional Materials.
Surgical resection (the process of removing a piece of tissue) is a common treatment for skin melanoma but can lead to post-operative recurrence, which can need further surgery plus chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It can also be hard to treat due to tumor cells often developing resistance to treatments. The use of Photothermal Therapy (PTT), which relies on conductive materials that can convert light into heat to kill cancer cells, is being explored as a new treatment and this new research demonstrates how this could be applied using a dressing with minimal exposure to light needed.
Graphene oxide (GO) offers the possibility to be integrated with other materials such as proteins and the team has used this approach to assemble thin GO-elastin membranes that promote cell growth. However, GO is not conductive enough. Making it conductive usually requires harsh processes and high temperatures of over 140 °C that limits its use. In this study, the researchers developed an innovative method to make GO conductive in an efficient manner but requiring lower temperatures (85 °C). This process enabled the fabrication of GO-elastin materials that are conductive and can promote the growth of immune boosting endothelial cells to promote regeneration and healing.