Immobilization of collagen on hydroxyapatite and its interaction with cells

The adhesion of bone cells on substrate materials is generally measured by the removal torque and/or contact area between bone and implants. In this Study, collagen was used as a Surface-grafting material on hydroxyapatite (HA) substrates to enhance the cell adhesion because the collagen is a major constituent of connective tissues and has been regarded as one of the most excellent coating materials for bone bonding. First, HA disks (10mm Phi x 1 mm) were prepared and then collagen was immobilized on the HA surface using an 3-APTES coupling agent to improve the adhesiveness of cells on VIA disk surfaces. NIH 3T3 Fibroblasts were seeded on the Collagen-grafted and non-grated HA disks and Cultured in a Dulbecco's modified eagle medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum for 3 hrs to evaluate the cell adhesion on the HA samples. The fibroblasts on the collagen-grafted sample were more spread than those on the non-grafted sample. It is believed that collagen-grafted HA surface provides suitable sites for cell attaching due to the high biocompatibility of collagen.