Wah W. Thein-HanYindee KitiyanantThe Institute of Science and Technology for Research and Development, Mahidol UniversityMahidol University2018-08-242018-08-242007-01-01Journal of Biomedical Materials Research - Part B Applied Biomaterials. Vol.80, No.1 (2007), 92-10115524981002193042-s2.0-33845950936https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/24453Three-dimensional (3D) porous chitosan scaffolds are attractive candidates for tissue engineering applications. Chitosan scaffolds of 70, 88, and 95% degree of deacetylation (% DD) with the same molecular weight were developed and their properties with buffalo embryonic stem-like (ES-like) cells were investigated in vitro. Scaffolds were fabricated by freezing and lyophilization. They showed open pore structure with interconnecting pores under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Higher % DD chitosan scaffolds had greater mechanical strength, slower degradation rate, lower water uptake ability, but similar water retention ability, when compared to lower % DD chitosan. As a strategy to tissue engineering, buffalo ES-like cells were cultured on scaffolds for 28 days. It appeared that chitosan was cytocompatible and cells proliferated well on 88 and 95% DD scaffolds. In addition, the buffalo ES-like cells maintained their pluripotency during the culture period. Furthermore, the SEM and histological study showed that the polygonal buffalo ES-like cells proliferated well and attached to the pores. This study proved that 3D biodegradable highly deacetylated chitosan scaffolds are promising candidates for ES-like cell based tissue engineering and this chitosan scaffold and ES cell based system can be used as in vitro model for subsequent clinical applications. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Mahidol UniversityEngineeringMaterials ScienceArticleSCOPUS10.1002/jbm.b.30573