In vitro performance of 13‐93 bioactive glass fiber and trabecular scaffolds with MLO‐A5 osteogenic cells

Abstract This in vitro study was performed to evaluate the ability of two types of porous bioactive glass scaffolds to support the growth and differentiation of an established osteogenic cell line. The two scaffold types tested included 13‐93 glass fiber and trabecular‐like scaffolds seeded with murine MLO‐A5 cells and cultured for intervals of 2 to 12 days. Culture in MTT‐containing medium showed metabolically active cells both on the surface and within the interior of the scaffolds. Scanning electron microscopy revealed well‐attached cells on both types of scaffolds with a continual increase in cell density over a 6‐day period. Protein measurements also showed a linear increase in cell density during the incubation. Activity of alkaline phosphatase, a key indicator of osteoblast differentiation, increased about 10‐fold during the 6‐day incubation with both scaffold types. The addition of mineralization media to MLO‐A5 seeded scaffolds triggered extensive formation of alizarin red‐positive mineralized extracellular material, additional evidence of cell differentiation and completion of the final step of bone formation on the constructs. Collectively, the results indicate that the 13‐93 glass fiber and trabecular scaffolds promote the attachment, growth, and differentiation of MLO‐A5 osteogenic cells and could potentially be used for bone tissue engineering applications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A 100A: 2593–2601, 2012.