Abstract
Biomaterials used in medicine have to match several safety criteria to be biocompatible with human body. In addition, materials developed for tissue engineering as a scaffold for cells have to facilitate cell growth and function.
Needleless electrospun SiO2 nanofibers prepared by sol-gel method were studied from this point of view as scaffold for established cell lines and human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells ( hMSC). First, we assessed nanofiber degradation in phosphate buffer saline ( PBS) and in cell culture media supplemented with 5% serum.
Electron microscopy showed that the degradation was more pronounced in cell culture media than in PBS. Correspondingly, eluates from nanofibers kept in cell culture media were more toxic for tested cells than eluates from nanofibers kept in PBS conditions.
Confocal microscopy showed that silica nanofibers are able to support cell adhesion. Adhering cells were surviving and metabolically active, as assessed by the MTT assay.
In conclusion, silica nanofibers revealed as suitable material for cell adhesion.