Porous Chitosan Microcarriers for Large Scale Cultivation of Cells for Tissue Engineering: Fabrication and Evaluation

Porous chitosan microspheres with diameters ranging from 180 μm to 280 μm were successfully prepared, using an anti-phase suspension method combined with temperature controlled freeze-extraction. The mean pore diameter could be regulated from 5 μm to 60 μm by varying the freezing temperature through the cooling rate. Results with in vitro chondrocyte cultures showed that cells could attach, proliferate, and spread on these porous microspheres as well as inside the microcarriers. The materials and cell co-cultures were characterized using both optical and scanning electron microscopy. These results show that the porous chitosan microspheres are promising candidates for tissue culture for use as an injectable tissue engineering scaffold.