Jet injection to aid cancer fight

The treatment is a needle free injection

A new, more effective way to deliver treatment to skin cancer patients has been developed by NI researchers.

The system produces a high-speed liquid jet with sufficient intensity to pierce the skin without the need for needles.

Pharmacy PhD student Desmond Morrow of Queen's University, Belfast, said the jet-injection is more effective than topical application on the skin.

The findings are to be presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester on Monday.

Mr Morrow said he believes the system could improve the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy, which uses a light (such as a laser) combined with a light-activated drug to kill cancer cells.

"Photodynamic therapy is a relatively new form of skin cancer treatment which results in tumour death," he said.

"However, sometimes its success in individual patients is limited by the poor penetration of the active agent into the tumour.

"Our research shows that a new way of administering the drug can improve the amount that crosses the skin barrier and gets to the required site."

Mr Morrow and his colleagues found that, compared with application via a bio-adhesive patch, the jet injector significantly increased the amount of drug that could be delivered through the skin.

He added: "This technology has the potential to increase the efficacy of photodynamic therapy in skin cancer treatment."