The effects of cross linked hyaluronic acid gel on colon cancer peritoneal implantation utilising A mouse model

Objective: Colorectal cancers cause the second most common cancer-related death in the world as of 2020. The presence of peritoneal metastases significantly reduces disease-related and overall survival. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of cross-linked hyaluronic acid hydrogel on the migration, invasion and peritoneal implantation ability of HT29 human colon cancer cells. Method: HT-29 cell line was used and data were obtained by utilizing in vitro Transwell migration and invasion assay, in vivo Balb/c mouse xenograft intraperitoneal tumor model in the presence of cross-linked hyaluronic acid hydrogel. Weekly intraperitoneal hydrogel injections were applied to the experimental group and at the 5th week, the subjects were euthanized and their body cavities were opened and examined. Detected peritoneal implants were weighed and analyzed between groups. Results: In the presence of cross-linked hyaluronic acid, it was observed that the invasion and migration ability of HT-29 cells decreased significantly (p<0.0001 for both). In the mouse model, with weekly intraperitoneal hydrogel injection, tumor implantation was observed in 77% of the mice(n=7) in the control group at week 5, while no peritoneal implant was found in any subject in the experimental group. Conclusion: We observed that cross-linked hyaluronic acid hydrogel reduces the invasion, migration and implantation rates of HT-29 cells in in vitro and in vivo experiments. Further studies are needed to determine its clinical applicability.