Author(s)

Ayano Miyamoto, Masataka Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Maeda

Department of Endodontics, Osaka Dental University, Osaka, Japan.

To regenerate teeth and bones, a scaffold is essential. Hydroxyapatite has been used in many studies, but scaffolds made of hydrogel or sponge are also effective. The hardness of hydroxyapatite is a disadvantageous property for shaping. A sponge is suitable as a scaffold because the shape of the scaffold can be matched to the defect. Sodium alginate (AL) has excellent biocompatibility and a sponge can be made from this gel by lyophilization. The purpose of this study was to promote hard tissue formation with a sponge made of AL gel or AL gel and chondroitin sulfate (Chs). Sponges were made from AL gel, which were then used as a scaffold to investigate their effectiveness for the formation of hard tissue or bone. Hard tissue formation in the pores of these AL sponges was estimated in vitro and in vivo. In the sponge made from AL gel, the concentration of AL and the addition of Chs affected bone formation. Concentration of AL would affect the shape and size of the pores. ALP activity in the sponges was also enhanced by Chs. The amount of osteocalcin (OC) produced in the sponge by rat bone marrow cells increased depending on the AL and Chs concentrations in the gel. The level of OC amount in the sponges made from AL gel containing Chs was notable in vivo. Bone formation in the sponge in vivo was affected by the addition of Chs in AL gel. The quantity of OC and the bone formation in AL sponges in subcutaneous tissue in vivo suggested that AL sponges can be useful as a scaffold.

Sodium Alginate Sponge, Osteogenesis, Stem Cells, Chondroitin Sulfate, In Vivo, In Vitro

Miyamoto, A. , Yoshikawa, M. and Maeda, H. (2018) Hard Tissue-Forming Ability and Ultra-Micro Structure of Newly Developed Sponges as Scaffolds Made with Sodium Alginate Gel and Chondroitin Sulfate. Journal of Biomedical Science and Engineering, 11, 289-306. doi: 10.4236/jbise.2018.1111024.