Tiny Scaffolds May Aid Muscle Healing

Microscopic structures guide muscle cells to regenerate organized, functional tissue

Jan. 29, 2026 at 12:39am

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Researchers at the University of Oregon's Knight Campus have developed microscopic scaffolds that could help damaged muscle heal faster and more effectively. The scaffolds, created using a micro 3D printing technique called melt electrowriting, provide a roadmap for regenerating muscle cells to follow as they rebuild the complex structure of mature muscle. By combining the physical cues of the scaffolds with biochemical signals that promote cell attachment and growth, the researchers have demonstrated a proof-of-concept for a potential new therapy to restore function after severe muscle loss.

Why it matters

Current approaches to treating large muscle injuries, such as muscle transplants, often fail to fully integrate with existing muscle structure, resulting in scar tissue and impaired function. The new scaffold technology offers a potential solution by guiding muscle cells to regenerate in an organized, functional way, which could lead to better outcomes for patients suffering from debilitating muscle loss.

The details

The researchers, led by Alycia Galindo, a PhD candidate in Marian Hettiaratchi's lab, first tested growing muscle cells called myoblasts on the microscopic scaffolds, which are made of biocompatible polymers and resemble tiny grids. They found that the myoblasts grew best on scaffolds with a 20-micrometer thickness, which closely matches the diameter of muscle cells. To further enhance the scaffolds, the team coated them with hyaluronic acid, a molecule that mimics the cellular microenvironment and helps cells adhere and grow. They then added a peptide called RGD, which promotes cellular attachment, to the hyaluronic acid coating. This combination of physical and chemical cues resulted in the myoblasts not only attaching more readily to the scaffolds, but also aligning and differentiating into mature muscle cells in an organized fashion.

  • The research findings were published in the September 2026 edition of Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering.
  • The work was part of the 2025 Young Innovator collection.

The players

Alycia Galindo

A PhD candidate in Marian Hettiaratchi's lab at the University of Oregon's Knight Campus, who led the development of the microscopic scaffolds.

Marian Hettiaratchi

An associate professor of bioengineering at the University of Oregon's Knight Campus and the senior author on the paper.

Kelly O'Neill

A graduate student in the Knight Campus, who collaborated with Galindo and is supervised by Paul Dalton.

Paul Dalton

An associate professor in bioengineering and the Bradshaw and Holzapfel Research Professor in Transformational Science and Mathematics at the University of Oregon, who invented the melt electrowriting (MEW) technology used to create the microscopic scaffolds.

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What they’re saying

“What makes MEW special is the level of control we have. It's really cool to think about applying it with muscle cells in this way.”

— Paul Dalton, Associate Professor, University of Oregon

“We thought that combining MEW structural scaffolds with biochemical signals could be really powerful. Cells respond to both physical and chemical cues in their environment. Giving them the combination of physical and chemical cues could really help the muscle cells.”

— Marian Hettiaratchi, Associate Professor, University of Oregon

“The difference was really dramatic. With RGD, the cells not only attached more readily, but they also wrapped around the fibers and began growing along them in an organized fashion. These cells were using the scaffold as a template for regeneration.”

— Alycia Galindo, PhD Candidate, University of Oregon

What’s next

The team envisions future versions of the technology that could be implanted during surgery or even injected as a gel that solidifies into a scaffold at the injury site. The scaffold would provide both structural support and time-released biochemical signals, gradually degrading as the muscle regenerates until only healthy, functional tissue remains.

The takeaway

This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the potential of combining microscale scaffolds with customizable biochemical signals to guide the regeneration of complex muscle tissue, offering a promising new approach to treating severe muscle injuries that current therapies often struggle to address effectively.