Cell adhesion of bone marrow cells, chondrocytes, ligament cells and synovial cells on a PLGA–collagen hybrid mesh

Tissue engineering has been rapidly developing as an alternative approach to the repair and regeneration of damaged human tissue. A temporary scaffold is necessary to accommodate new cells and to guide the formation of tissue. Cell adhesion to a scaffold is the first step of cell behavior when it comes in contact with the scaffold surface and is an important consideration in tissue engineering. Bone marrow cells, chondrocytes, ligament cells and synovial cells were cultured in a PLGA–collagen hybrid mesh and their adhesion to the scaffold was studied. All four kinds of cells adhered to the hybrid mesh. The cells did not spread and showed a round morphology after culture for 30 min either in serum or in a serum-free medium. If cells were seeded at a high concentration, more cells were observed in the hybrid mesh. After culture for 6 h, the cells spread and showed a flatter morphology. The cells cultured in the serum medium spread out more than did those in serum-free medium. Calculations of cell seeding efficiencies were based on the number of cells that adhered to the mesh after culture for 30 min and for 6 h. The number of adhered cells increased with an increase of culture time for all four types of cells. For the mesenchymal stem cells, the medium composition and cell concentration affected seeding efficiency during the initial period. Cell seeding efficiency increased with an increase in cell concentration and the serum medium promoted cell adhesion, but not after culture for 6 h. The adhesion of the chondrocytes and ligament cells showed the same trend in that the efficiency of cell growth did not change in serum or serum-free medium, or in high or low cell concentration. For the synovial cells, cell concentration did not affect cell seeding efficiency, but more cells adhered to the hybrid mesh in the serum-free medium than did in the serum medium. These results suggest that the seeding conditions should be specified according the specific cell type when the PLGA–collagen hybrid mesh is used for tissue engineering.