Methods for Characterization of Bioactivity Using Confocal Microscopy

Published

December 1, 2020

Author(s)

Jirun Sun, Nancy Lin, Joy Dunkers, Sheng Lin-Gibson

Abstract

One common tissue engineering approach for regenerating or replacing damaged tissues involves a porous polymeric scaffold. The scaffolds serve as the mechanical framework for cell attachment and growth, and generate an environment with features that span multiple-length scales to guide cell differentiation and tissue regeneration. Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) is a useful technique to evaluate cell adhesion and spatial distribution within a scaffold since it is designed to collect image slices through the sample thickness. This chapter discusses the methods to evaluate cell distribution in the scaffolds using LSCM. Cell distribution in 3D scaffolds was characterized using new methods developed for the LSCM. Scaffold porosity and pore size are important factors for cell proliferation and distribution in 3D. Porosity affects diffusion and is vital for nutrient distribution and waste removal. All methods utilized the imaging capabilities of the LSCM while also taking advantage of the low-scattering nature of the amorphous polymers.

Citation

Designing Bioactive Polymeric Materials for Restorative Dentistry

Publisher Info

CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL

Pub Type

Book Chapters

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429113284

Local Download

Keywords

cell density, cell distribution, confocal imaging, three-dimensional scaffolds, tissue engineering

Citation

Sun, J. , Lin, N. , Dunkers, J. and Lin-Gibson, S. (2020), Methods for Characterization of Bioactivity Using Confocal Microscopy, Designing Bioactive Polymeric Materials for Restorative Dentistry, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, [online], https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429113284, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=912338 (Accessed October 9, 2025)