Evaluation of iota-carrageenan as a Potential Tissue Engineering Scaffold

The present study evaluates the use of iota-carrageenan as a potential tissue engineering scaffold. Cell viability and cell attachment studies were performed on 3T3 fibroblasts cultured for a period of 12 days on the surface and when encapsulated within a 2% iota-carrageenan hydrogel. It was found that 3T3 fibroblasts seeded onto the surface of the gel did not show signs of attachment and the proportion of live cells decreased by 33% over a period of 12 days. The proportion of live cells encapsulated within the gel remained constant and there was evidence of cell proliferation throughout the 12 day study (4-fold increase in cell number). The extent of degradation of the gel for both encapsulated and non cell-seeded forms was also evaluated and showing no significant degradation for both types. These results indicate that iota-carrageenan may be a suitable scaffold material for use in tissue engineering and a potential tool for studying cell proliferation in three dimensions.