DESIGN, PRODUCTION AND BIOCOMPATIBILITY OF NANOSTRUCTURED POROUS HAp AND Si-HAp CERAMICS AS THREE-DIMENSIONAL SCAFFOLDS FOR STEM CELL CULTURE AND DIFFERENTIATION

The biocompatibility data obtained on a newly designed three-dimensional nanostructured porous scaffold made of pure and silicon-substituted hydroxyapatite are reported. A suitable amount of porosity (60 vol%) was obtained within a well densified ceramic skeleton using polyethylene spheres. Biocompatibility was tested using murine embryonic stem cells (ES). Cell culture analysis indicated that ES cells adhered well on both hydroxyapatite and silicon-substituted hydroxyapatite scaffolds. Si-substitution, however, improved the subsequent ES cell proliferation rate. Bioresorption of hydroxyapatite scaffolds was tested using human osteoclasts obtained from peripheral blood monocytes, made to differentiate on discs and evaluated by SEM.