Electrospun polymeric scaffolds enable 3D tissue-like functionality and efficient photoinduced contraction

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Muscle tissue engineering seeks functional constructs for regenerative medicine and drug screening.
• Controllable muscle contraction is a key challenge in developing engineered muscle.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a biocompatible, light-responsive bio-hybrid construct for engineered muscle tissue.
• To investigate the potential of electrospun nanofiber scaffolds with phototransducers for optogenetic muscle stimulation.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of 2D and quasi-3D scaffolds using electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) or poly(caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers.
• Incorporation of Ziapin2, a membrane-targeting azobenzene, for light-responsive stimulation.
• Evaluation of scaffold mechanical properties, C2C12 myoblast adhesion, alignment, and light-induced contractions.

Main Results:

• Aligned fibers enhanced cellular organization and promoted macroscopic contractions.
• PVA demonstrated optimal performance for quasi-3D scaffold fabrication.
• Light-induced contractions generated significant strain (4 × 10^-4) and stress (3.3 kPa), resulting in a contraction force of 460 µN.

Conclusions:

• Aligned and photosensitized nanofiber scaffolds offer a promising platform for engineered muscle tissue.
• The developed construct enables non-genetic, optically controllable stimulation for various applications.
• Potential applications include soft robotics, in vitro modeling, drug screening, and regenerative medicine.