Cellulose hydorogel for three-dimensional scaffold of cell culture

在120度的温度下，纤维素在60%的溴化锂水溶液中完全溶解。然后将纤维素溶液倒入含有大量过量盐（NaCl）颗粒的玻璃容器中，预先加热120度。通过冷却到室温，用水冲洗去除板条，纤维素从溶液中再生。由此获得的纤维素凝胶具有均匀且直径大于0.1 mm的大孔径。在这个过程中使用的盐的粒度决定了凝胶的形态和机械性能的控制。用兔软骨细胞植入凝胶，体外培养3周，观察软骨细胞的增殖和向软骨的分化。因此，纤维素凝胶有可能用作组织工程细胞培养的三维支架。

Cellulose was completely dissolved in the 60 wt% lithium bromide aqueous solution in the temperature 120 degrees. Then the cellulose solution was poured into glass container containing large excess amount of salt (NaCl) particles that was heated at 120 degrees in advance. The cellulose was regenerated from the solution by cooling down to room temperature and removing the slats by washing with water. The cellulose gel thus obtained has a uniform and large pore size more than 0.1 mm in diameter. The particle size of salts used in the process leads to the control of morphology and mechanical properties of the gel. The gels were seeded with rabbit chondrocyte and cultured in vitro for three weeks, and proliferation of chondrocyte and its differentiation to cartilagines were observed. In consequence, the cellulose gel has a possibility using as a three-dimensional scaffold for cell culture of tissue engineering.