Topography-mediated control of myoblasts behavior for skeletal muscle engineering
Topography-mediated control of myoblasts behavior for skeletal muscle engineering
Severe muscle injuries, such as volumetric muscle loss (VML), often lead to scar tissue formation and impaired functional regeneration, resulting in permanent motor dysfunction and disability. Muscle tissue engineering offers a promising therapeutic strategy by creating tissue scaffolds that precisely control topological structures to modulate cells and bioactive factors, thereby mimicking the native muscle tissue microenvironment.
This thesis of Tianqi Feng investigates how biomaterial interface properties, including topography, electrical signals, and mechanical cues, regulate myoblast behavior and myogenic differentiation for muscle tissue engineering. A high-throughput screening platform revealed that substrate topography influences cell morphology and differentiation through focal adhesion distribution and cytoskeleton reorganization. Functionalized carbon nanotube (fCNT) additionally provides a complex surface environment, fCNT coatings enhanced myotube formation and alignment by combining topographical and electrical cues. Conductive alginate hydrogels modified via different gelation methods also affected myoblast differentiation, particularly under stiffer and more conductive conditions.
The study underscores the importance of multi-factor synergy in mimicking the native muscle microenvironment, offering strategies for improved scaffold design to guide cell fate and advance regenerative medicine applications.