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Skin cancer is broadly classified into two categories i.e., non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and malignant melanoma (MM), with MM having a greater fatality rate than NMSC. A large number of treatment strategies currently exist for these skin cancer types, ranging from monotherapies to complex multifaceted synergistic interventions including dual therapies, trimodality therapy, and multicomponent combinations therapy. These combinatorial cancer treatments have delivered more favorable results when compared with monotherapies, and although combination treatments increase the cost of treatment, these regimens have lower side effect profiles, decreased resistance, high efficacy and an improved long-term response. Synergistic combination treatments for skin cancer are often complex, wide-ranging and encompass diverse platforms with various mechanisms of action. An understanding of the physiological potential, as well the efficacy of such treatments, is therefore vital to ensure patients receive the best possible treatment. This review therefore focuses on the current advancements and existing non-surgical combinative drug delivery methods utilized for treating skin cancer. It encompasses the diverse pharmaceutical delivery systems, clinical outcomes, and oncology strategies employed and aims to highlight the role of non-surgical combination therapies in enhancing patient compliance, reducing treatment durations, and improving overall survival rates while addressing relapses and metastasis. The promising outlook of the research being conducted in this field has also been provided, as well as the barriers to the effective treatment of this complex condition., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Introduction: Three-Dimensional (3D) microneedles have recently gained significant attention due to their versatility, biocompatibility, enhanced permeation, and predictable behavior. The incorporation of biological agents into these 3D constructs has advanced the traditional microneedle into an effective platform for wide-ranging applications., Areas Covered: This review discusses the current state of microneedle fabrication as well as the developed 3D printed microneedles incorporating labile pharmaceutical agents and biological materials for potential biomedical applications. The mechanical and processing considerations for the preparation of microneedles and the barriers to effective 3D printing of microneedle constructs have additionally been reviewed along with their therapeutic applications and potential for tissue engineering and regenerative applications. Additionally, the regulatory considerations for microneedle approval have been discussed as well as the current clinical trial and patent landscapes., Expert Opinion: The fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are evolving at a significant pace with researchers constantly focused on incorporating advanced manufacturing techniques for the development of versatile, complex, and biologically specific platforms. 3D bioprinted microneedles, fabricated using conventional 3D printing techniques, have resultantly provided an alternative to 2D bioscaffolds through the incorporation of biological materials within 3D constructs while providing further mechanical stability, increased bioactive permeation and improved innervation into surrounding tissues. This advancement therefore potentially allows for a more effective biomimetic construct with improved tissue-specific cellular growth for the enhanced treatment of physiological conditions requiring tissue regeneration and replacement.

The genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is a widely occurring condition affecting millions of women worldwide. The current treatment of GSM involves the use of orally or vaginally administered estrogens, often with the risk of endometrial hyperplasia. The utilization of progestogens offers a means to counteract the effects of estrogen on the endometrial tissue, decreasing unwanted side effects and improving therapeutic outcomes. In this study, a norethindrone acetate (NETA)-loaded, hollow, cylindrical, and sustained release platform has been designed, fabricated, and optimized for implantation in the uterine cavity as a counter-estrogenic intervention in the treatment of GSM. The developed system, which comprises ethyl cellulose (EC) and polycaprolactone (PCL), has been statistically optimized using a two-factor, two-level factorial design, with the mechanical properties, degradation, swelling, and in vitro drug release of NETA from the device evaluated. The morphological characteristics of the platform were further investigated through scanning electron microscopy in addition to cytocompatibility studies using NIH/3T3 cells. Results from the statistical design highlighted the platform with the highest NETA load and the EC-to-PCL ratio that exhibited favorable release and weight loss profiles. The drug release data for the optimal formulation were best fitted with the Peppas-Sahlin model, implicating both diffusion and polymer relaxation in the release mechanism, with cell viability results noting that the prepared platform demonstrated favorable cytocompatibility. The significant findings of this study firmly establish the developed platform as a promising candidate for the sustained release of NETA within the uterine cavity. This functionality serves as a counter-estrogenic intervention in the treatment of GSM, with the platform holding potential for further advanced biomedical applications.