Yb3+-containing chitosan hydrogels induce B-16 melanoma cell anoikis via a Fak-dependent pathway

Melanoma is the most lethal dermal tumor, and a high recurrence rate and skin defects are two main serious problems. An antimelanoma material, which effectively inhibits tumor recurrence and possesses excellent biocompatibility, is urgently needed to treat melanoma. In this study, we developed a novel antitumor Yb3+ [Yb(NO3)(3)]-containing chitosan hydrogel (Yb-CS hydrogel) by dissolving Yb(NO3)(3) and chitosan in acetic acid solution and forming composite hydrogels by a freeze-drying process after adding NaOH to the mixed solution. In vitro studies demonstrated that the Yb3+ produces effect of inducing cell death in Yb-CS hydrogel. Moreover, we found that the Yb-CS hydrogel inhibited a focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-dependent signaling pathway and induced B-16 cell anoikis. However, the Yb-CS hydrogel was less effective on L929 normal mouse dermal cells. In vivo studies showed that the Yb-CS hydrogel inhibited the recurrence of melanoma in a mouse bare xenograft tumor model. We concluded that the Yb-CS hydrogel could potentially be used in the antimelanoma field, especially in the inhibition of melanoma recurrence.