Iron-phosphate glass fiber scaffolds for the hard-soft interface regeneration: the effect of fiber diameter and flow culture condition on cell survival and differentiation.

This work investigated the further development of a well-characterized, contiguous, glass fiber system for regeneration of the hard-soft tissue interface. We evaluated the effect of fiber diameter on human osteoblasts and fibroblasts attachment and viability using ternary glass fibers of the composition 0.48 CaO-0.02 Na(2)O-0.50 P(2)O(5). Fiber diameter significantly influenced cell attachment and survival, with fibers drawn at 800 revolutions per minute found to be optimal. Using a known composition of iron-phosphate glass fibers (composition 0.46 CaO-0.01 Na(2)O-0.03 Fe(2)O(3)-0.50 P(2)O(5)), scaffolds were produced. These scaffolds were incorporated within an open laminar flow culture system to provide nutrients, oxygen, and waste perfusion throughout the culture. The design of the chamber ensured that laminar flow was present, and changes in the differentiation of both osteoblast and fibroblast seeded scaffolds were assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Our data show that osteoblast and fibroblast differentiation is unaffected or enhanced by laminar flow when compared with static culture conditions. This system can therefore be adapted to construct larger, more complex, three-dimensional iron-phosphate fiber scaffolds for tissue engineering.