Improving Efficacy and Reducing Systemic Toxicity: An In Vitro Study on the Role of Electrospun Gelatin Nanofiber Membrane for Localized Melanoma Treatment

Malignant melanoma is a highly metastatic skin cancer, representing about 5% of all cancer diagnoses in the United States. Conventional chemotherapy often has limited effectiveness and severe systemic side effects. This study explores a localized, topical delivery system using cisplatin-loaded nanomembranes as a safer and more targeted alternative. Cell viability assays established the safe cisplatin concentrations for tissue culture. Gelatin-based nanomembranes incorporating cisplatin were fabricated via electrospinning. Biocompatibility and therapeutic efficacy were tested by applying the membranes to cultured melanoma and normal skin cells. Controlled drug release profiles were evaluated by adjusting cross-linking times. Cisplatin concentration between 3.125 and 12.5 µg/mL were found safe. Nanomembranes with these doses effectively eliminated melanoma cells with minimal harm to healthy skin cells. Drug-free membranes showed high biocompatibility. Cross-linking duration allowed tunable and stable drug release. Cisplatin-loaded gelatin nanomembranes offer a promising topical therapy for melanoma, enhancing drug targeting while reducing systemic toxicity. This approach may serve as a cost-effective alternative to systemic treatments like immunotherapy. Future research will focus on in vivo testing and clinical application.