Evaluation of the therapeutic effect of mitomycin-loaded hydrogel in inhibiting tumor-cell proliferation and invasion in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a common tumor of the digestive system with a high degree of malignancy and poor prognosis. Its incidence has significantly increased worldwide in recent years. Currently, approximately 90% of patients cannot be treated surgically. Thus, drug therapy plays an important role in pancreatic cancer treatment. In this study, hydrogels loaded with mitomycin were prepared from hyaluronic acid and carboxymethyl chitosan, which have excellent biocompatibility. SEM results showed that the hydrogels had a three-dimensional interoperable porous structure, and CCK-8 results showed that hydrogels loaded with mitomycin significantly reduced cancer-cell proliferation. The hydrogels also reduced the migration of cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, indicating their potential use as a drug-carrier material for pancreatic cancer treatment.