Conclusions
The hep-col scaffold can localize several kinds of growth factors as well as stabilize bFGF under physiological temperature and is a promising potent scaffold for regenerative medicine.
Methods
In this paper, we focused on the biological stability of bFGF immobilized on the heparin-conjugated collagen (hep-col) scaffold. The stability of the immobilized bFGF was quantitatively evaluated at physiological temperature (37 °C) using cell culture and ELISA.
Results
The immobilized bFGF had twice higher stability than the bFGF solution. Furthermore, the hep-col scaffold was able to immobilize not only bFGF but also other growth factors (i.e., vascular endothelial growth factor and hepatocyte growth factor) at high efficiency. Conclusions: The hep-col scaffold can localize several kinds of growth factors as well as stabilize bFGF under physiological temperature and is a promising potent scaffold for regenerative medicine.