SYNOPSIS
The purpose of this study was to prepare a porous sponge-like scaffold and eval-uate hard tissue formation in the scaffold. It is desirable for the scaffold to be modified its configuration easily in accordance with the defect of a tooth in clinics. Then, we developed sponge-like porous scaffolds from sodium alginate (AL) gel. Scanning electron microscopic observation found spherical and interconnected pores with appropriate size for osteogenesis in the scaffolds prepared from 4% AL gel by freeze-drying. Intensity of the scaffold was improved by cross-linkage of the gel with calcium chloride or addition of a tri-calcium phosphate (TCP) at 10% in the gel. Scaffolds prepared from 4% AL gel with 10% α-TCP showed significantly high level of osteocalcin and ALP activity. It might be because of cell adhesive property of α-TCP. It is concluded that 4% AL gel with 10% α-TCP would be suitable to prepare the porous sponge-like scaffold.

Key words: hybrid sponge scaffold, sodium alginate, osteogenesis