Abstract
We developed and characterized hydroxyapatite (HA) microcarrier for high-density cell culture. HA microcarrier was prepared by coating the surface of polymer (nylon, epoxy and polyethylene)beads with HA particles. The mixtures of polymer beads and HA were processed with a Mechanofusion system. Nylon beads with HA showed the most suitable coating efficiency, and the specific gravity, according to scanning electron microscopy and a gas pycnometer. HA microcarriers with four different composition ratios were prepared from mixtures of nylon beads and HA at weight ratios of 100:0.5, 100:1, 100:2 and 100:3, to determine the optimum mixture ratio. Vero cells were cultured by use of these HA microcarriers. The HA microcarrier with a weight ratio of 100:1 was the most suitable cell carrier bead, because of its specific gravity, and the effective ability for Vero cells to proliferate on it.
