Skin Cancer

Got a rash or spot to check out? Take a photo! Google Lens can now save you from wading through hundreds of images of skin conditions, letting you search for your own much more easily and delivering results for diagnosis and recommended treatment.

Cancer is the end result of a wide range of problems, and learning how it occurs is key to prevention and treatment. Now, scientists have discovered a never-before-seen cancer-causing mechanism – a kind of clog in a cellular garbage disposal system.

MIT scientists have developed a new wearable patch that can deliver drugs through the skin more efficiently and painlessly. The device uses pulses of ultrasound to pry open the skin, which could improve topical medications or even tattoos.

A combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy has shown promise against stage IV melanoma in a new clinical trial. The chemo drug targets a type of cell that suppresses the immune response, and together the two showed an increased response rate.

The first results from a trial testing mRNA technology against cancer reveal 44% of patients fared better than those on conventional treatments. The announcement from Moderna reveals Phase 3 trials for its mRNA skin cancer vaccine will commence next year.

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer thanks to its ability to rapidly spread to other organs. Brazilian researchers have now developed a peptide that seems to slow the growth and spread of melanoma, improving the survival rates of test mice.

Researchers have demonstrated a new kind of non-invasive skin cancer detection tool. Preliminary tests found the technology to be 97 percent effective at detecting cancer tissue and the researchers are now working to develop a cheap handheld device.

Scientists at Northeastern University have put an interesting new solution forward in the realm of UV monitoring – one that came about through a serendipitous discovery concerning the color-changing ways of camouflaging squid.

A new test has been developed to assess the likelihood of an early-stage melanoma either spreading or recurring. The test measures levels of several proteins in a biopsy, helping doctors assess which patients require more frequent follow-ups.

A new study from Oregon State University proposes mRNA-induced production of a specific protein may prevent melanoma, while mRNA pioneer BioNTech is already up to Phase 2 human trials for its unique skin cancer vaccine.

The University of Alberta has developed a new technique for 3D printing cartilage in custom shapes. This can be used to repair the noses of skin cancer patients, saving them the trouble of having cartilage samples taken from other parts of the body.

Using AI to spot melanoma in its early stages is an exciting possibility, and a new deep-learning system developed by Harvard and MIT scientists promises a new level of sophistication, by using a method known as the “ugly duckling” criteria.