3D scaffold with carbon nanotube coated collagen sponge

Objectives: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have high biochemical properties such as strong cell adhesion and the protein absorption, which is very useful as the cell cultivation scaffold. In addition, the authors found that CNTs have high affinity to collagen.In this study we prepared the CNTs-coated collagen sponge and applied to the 3D scaffold of cell culture.

Methods: Collagen sponge honeycomb (AteloCell��R;Koken Co.,Ltd.) was treated with carboxylated multi wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) dispersed aqueous solution. MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured on the MWCNTs-coated sponge. After 1day to 2 weeks cultivation, the cell proliferation and biochemical properties (alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and DNA quantity) were estimated. The cell morphology and the surface structure of the sponges were observed by optical microscope and SEM.

Result: The collagen sponge surface was homogeneously coated with MWCNTs. MC3T3-E1 cells were spread around and inside the MWCNTs-coated scaffold. There was no significant difference between the estimated ALP activity normalized by DNA quantity on MWCNTs-coated sponge and that on the non-coated collagen sponge.

Conclusion: The collagen sponge is one of the most affinitive scaffold for cell cultivation. MWCNTs treatment would improve the various properties of the scaffold such as mechanical and electric properties. In addition, CNTs-coated surface shows strong cell adhesion. Therefore, the MWCNTs-coated collagen sponge is expected to be useful as 3D scaffold for cell cultivation.