Abstract
To engineer functional tissues, a large number of cells must be successfully seeded into scaffolds. We previously proposed a methodology for tissue engineering using magnetite nanoparticles and magnetic force, which we termed “Mag‐TE.” In the present study, we applied the Mag‐TE technique to a cell seeding process and have termed the technique “Mag‐seeding.” The cell‐seeding efficiency of NIH/3T3 fibroblasts (FBs) by Mag‐seeding was investigated using six types of commercially available scaffolds (5 collagen sponges and 1 D,D‐L,L polylactic acid sponge) having various pore sizes. FBs were magnetically labeled with our original magnetite cationic liposomes (MCLs), which have a positive surface charge, to improve adsorption onto the cell surface. FBs labeled with MCLs were seeded onto a scaffold, and a magnet (4 kG) was placed under the scaffold. Mag‐seeding facilitated successful cell seeding into the deep internal space of the scaffolds. Cell‐seeding efficiency increased significantly in all scaffolds when compared to those without magnetic force. Moreover, when a high‐intensity magnet (10 kG) was used, cell‐seeding efficiency was significantly enhanced. These results suggest that Mag‐seeding is a promising approach for tissue engineering. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2006