Ectopic osteogenic tissue formation by MC3T3-E1 cell-laden chitosan/hydroxyapatite composite scaffold

Abstract

This study evaluates the suitability of a macroporous three-dimensional chitosan/hydroxyapatite (CS/HA) composite as a bone tissue engineering scaffold using MC3T3-E1 cells. The CS/HA scaffold was produced by freeze-drying, and characterized by means of SEM and FTIR. In vitro findings demonstrated that CS/HA supported attachment and proliferation of cells, and stimulated extracellular matrix (ECM) production. Tissue biocompatibility and osteogenic capacity of the cell-laden constructs were evaluated in an ectopic Wistar rat model. In vivo results showed that the MC3T3-E1 cell-laden CS/HA was essentially histocompatible, promoted neovascularization and calcified matrix formation, and secreted osteoblast-specific protein. We conclude that the composite scaffold evaluated has potential for applications in bone regeneration.

Keywords::

• bone tissue engineering
• biocompatibility
• chitosan/hydroxyapatite
• composite scaffold
• ectopic bone formation
• preosteoblast
• xenotransplantation

Acknowledgments

The support from DAAD and Baden-Württemberg Fellowships, Germany (to A.K.), and The Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA), Ankara, Turkey (to Y.M.E.) is acknowledged. We also thank Ms. Beate vom Hoevel for excellent technical assistance.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare no competing interests. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.