We developed a hydroxyapatite (HA) microcarrier prepared by coating the surface of nylon beads with HA particles. Cell growth ability and viability were observed on the newly produced HA microcarrier (CELLYARD beads) and compared with that on a commercially available dextran microcarrier (Cytodex 1). Madin-Darby canine kidney cells (MDCK) and Vero cells were cultured using CELLYARD beads and Cytodex 1 in a 100 mL spinner flask. At 5 days of incubation, MDCK cells proliferated on CELLYARD beads

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... 2.31 x 106 cells/mL) effectively, at about 1.6 times the cell densities for Cytodex 1 (1.44 x 106 cells/mL). Vero cells also proliferated on CELLYARD beads (8.40 x 105 cells/mL) effectively, almost equal to that for Cytodex 1 (8.85 x 105 cells/mL). MDCK cells and Vero cells harvested from CELLYARD beads had much higher viability than those from Cytodex 1. CELLYARD beads had equal or better performance, compared with Cytodex 1, and would be a good material for high-density cell culture.