Bone Tissue Engineering by Using Calcium Phosphate Glass Scaffolds and the Avidin–Biotin Binding System

Highly porous and interconnected scaffolds were fabricated using calcium phosphate glass (CPG) for bone tissue engineering. An avidin–biotin binding system was used to improve osteoblast-like cell adhesion to the scaffold. The scaffolds had open macro- and micro-scale pores, and continuous struts without cracks or defects. Scaffolds prepared using a mixture (amorphous and crystalline CPG) were stronger than amorphous group and crystalline group. Cell adhesion assays showed that more cells adhered, with increasing cell seeding efficiency to the avidin-adsorbed scaffolds, and that cell attachment to the highly porous scaffolds significantly differed between avidin-adsorbed scaffolds and other scaffolds. Proliferation was also significantly higher for avidin-adsorbed scaffolds. Osteoblastic differentiation of MG-63 cells was observed at 3 days, and MG-63 cells in direct contact with avidin-adsorbed scaffolds were positive for type I collagen, osteopontin, and alkaline phosphatase gene expression. Osteocalcin expression was observed in the avidin-adsorbed scaffolds at 7 days, indicating that cell differentiation in avidin-adsorbed scaffolds occurred faster than the other scaffolds. Thus, these CPG scaffolds have excellent biological properties suitable for use in bone tissue engineering.