Apatite Based Microcarriers for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications

Abstract

Apatite based biomaterials can serve as substrates and scaffolds for bone regeneration. One of the strategies proposed is the incorporation of in-vitro cultured cells which are seeded on the scaffolds to create a more functional tissue. However, the conventional method of culturing sufficient cells on the scaffold can be inefficient and impractical. Use of microcarriers can overcome these issues, but their applicability in bone tissue engineering has not been considered. Here, fabrication, characterisation, and biological evaluation of a novel apatite based microcarrier is described. These microcarriers featured a substantially spherical macromorphology of 200 ? 300 um, with a rough surface morphology and open porous structure. In-vitro Results demonstrated that the microcarriers were a highly viable platform for in-vitro cell expansion. Expressions of alkaline ALP, COL1 and osteocalcin were significantly higher over monolayer culture plate controls. In-vivo study of a mouse model demonstrated immature bone formation, with indications of active bone remodelling.