Fataneh Rastgoo - Department of biology, Faculty of Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
Zivar Salehi - Department of biology, Faculty of Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
S.Shirin Shahangian - Department of biology, Faculty of Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
Mahvash Hadavi - Department of biology, Faculty of Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

Tissue engineering is basically a Biomimetic technique for tissue regeneration. Natural tissues consist of three components: cells, signaling systems (e.g. growth factors) and extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM forms a scaffold for its cells. A huge effort has been invested in bone tissue engineering, in which a highly porous scaffold plays a critical role in guiding bone and vascular tissue growth and regeneration in three dimensional positions. The selection and design of a bone matrix-like biomaterial are primarily determined by the composition of the osseous tissue. Bone is composed of hydroxyapatite and osteocalcium phosphate as mineral components and collagen, proteoglycans, matrix proteins, cytokines and growth factors as organics. In present study, a composite of zein and HA was fabricated with salt-leaching method and characterized with SEM and FTIR. SEM images were analyzed with imageJ software for scaffold pore size distribution and wall thickness assessment. NIH3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblast cell was used as a model system. Cell adhesion and proliferation was evaluated with MTT assay. The results showed that Zein/HA nanocomposite was a biocompatible material for NIH3T3 and cells morphology was favorable on scaffold surface. The pores are open and appeared randomly distributed in SEM images. The mean pore size was 291/25 μm and 306.55 μm in zein and zein/HA scaffolds respectively. For detection of NIH3T3 cell response to Zein/HA scaffold condition, osteogenic marker genes (such as ALP) expression will quantify with qRT-PCR in the future.

Zein/HA; scaffold; NIH3T3; ALP; Bone tissue engineering