Alternately plasma-roughened nanosurface of a hybrid scaffold for aligning myoblasts

For successful skeletal muscle tissue regeneration, inducing alignment and fusion of myoblasts into multinucleated myotubes is critical. Many studies are ongoing to induce myoblast alignment using various micro/nanopatternings on scaffold surfaces, mechanically stretching scaffolds, or aligned micro/nanofibers. In this study, we have developed a simple method to induce myoblast alignment using a modified plasma treatment on a hybrid PCL scaffold consisting of melt-printed perpendicular PCL struts and an electrospun PCL fibrous mat. For the hybrid scaffold, the surface of the electrospun mat was selectively roughened with a plasma process supplemented with a template. The cell alignment of myoblasts using this system was enhanced significantly when compared to results from the use of a hybrid scaffold with a non-roughened electrospun fiber surface or a hybrid scaffold where the whole surface of the electrospun fibers was roughened. This new type of plasma-treated hybrid scaffold has strong potential as a biomaterial for use in muscle tissue regeneration.