A promising hierarchical-pore cellulose scaffold for cell culture inspired by wood's multiscale architecture

Wood-derived cellulose scaffolds, which retain the natural hierarchical and porous microstructure of wood after delignification, has emerged as an excellent natural template for developing novel cellulose-based biomedical materials. However, the interactions between the cellulose scaffold and cells remain insufficiently understood. Drawing inspiration from the unique structure, this study pioneered the utilization of cellulose scaffolds as biocompatible carriers, and L929 fibroblasts were employed as the model cells to investigate their interaction, ultimately enabling the colonization and growth of L929 cells in a 3D environment. In this study, balsa wood was treated with conventional NaClO₂/NaOH system to yield cellulose scaffolds. The scaffolds exhibited a hierarchical pore structure (~82 %), superior swelling behavior (~1287.53 ± 114.63 %), and intrinsic self-pumping capability. Cytocompatibility evaluations further confirmed the excellent biocompatibility of the cellulose scaffolds. Cell-scaffold co-culture experiments demonstrated that the scaffolds provided a suitable spatial microenvironment for cell attachment, proliferation, and the formation of cell clusters. This study presents a promising low-cost, sustainable scaffold material and architecture for cell culture engineering, while also laying a theoretical foundation for the potential biomedical applications of wood-derived cellulose materials.