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Centimeter-Scale Alignment of Fibrillar Proteins Utilizing Viscous Polymers for Tissue Engineering.

Feiyu Chen^1,2,3, Ziying Xu^1,2,3, Yue Liu^1,2,3

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States.

ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering

|July 8, 2026

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Researchers developed a novel method to align extracellular matrix (ECM) fibrils at the centimeter scale using viscous polymers. This technique enables large-scale tissue scaffold fabrication for regenerative medicine and disease modeling.

Area of Science:

Biomaterials Science
Tissue Engineering
Cell Biology

Background:

Extracellular matrix (ECM) organization is crucial for tissue function, with aligned ECM fibrils guiding cellular alignment in various tissues.
Current ECM alignment techniques are insufficient for creating tissue-scale scaffolds needed for disease modeling and regenerative medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a novel method for achieving centimeter-scale alignment of fibrillar ECM.
To create tissue-scale scaffolds with aligned ECM and cells for biomedical applications.

Main Methods:

Leveraged strong dipole-dipole interactions between viscous long-chain polymers to corral fibrillar ECM proteins during hydrogel formation.
Mixed viscous long-chain polymers with fibrillar ECM solutions to achieve large-scale alignment.

Keywords:

functional tissue scaffolds large-scale ECM alignment tissue-scale cell alignment viscous long-chain polymers

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Validated the method's generalizability across different polymers and ECM proteins.

Main Results:

Successfully aligned fibrillar ECM at the centimeter scale.
Demonstrated robust alignment of both ECM and encapsulated cells.
Confirmed the safety and high viability of encapsulated cells, comparable to controls.
Showcased the method's generalizability across various polymers and ECM proteins.

Conclusions:

A new, customizable method for creating tissue scaffolds with aligned ECM fibrils and cells has been developed.
This technique utilizes viscous long-chain polymers and ECM proteins, offering a versatile approach for regenerative medicine and disease modeling.
The method provides a scalable solution for fabricating centimeter-scale aligned ECM scaffolds.