Bio-Instructive Scaffolds for Muscle Regeneration: NonCrosslinked Polymers

Surface features, such as topographical or chemical cues, can affect cell behavior and morphogenesis. The present chapter provides the readers with notes on the influence of nanoscale and microscale topographic features in guiding cell orientation, interaction, organization, and assembly in myotubes. Scaffolds with diverse spatial organization (2D vs. 3D, and nano vs. microscale) influence differently the myotubes assembly; in fact, both features enhance myotubes striation, but nanoscale features are more efficient in promoting the assembly of longer myotubes and microscale arrays affect myotube widths. Different biodegradable biomaterials and techniques are investigated to promote skeletal muscle regeneration creating 2D and 3D scaffolds able to guide the morphogenesis of engineered muscular tissue, gradually degrading after assembly in myoblasts and myotubes.