Continuous Production of Acoustically Patterned Cells Within Hydrogel Fibers for Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering

Many mammalian tissues have a specific cellular arrangement that enables their unique function. For example, parallel alignment of myofibers uniaxial muscle contraction. To engineer structured ex vivo, it is critical to recapitulate this arrangement. Conventional 3D encapsulation often fails complexity, motivating the need for advanced patterning approaches. In work, an acoustofluidic device continuously pattern cells within hydrogel fibers engineered. Contactless forces are used control spacing between lines cells. enable continuous extrusion cell-laden fibers, low friction Teflon tube integrated into device. A photopolymerizable allows triggering gelation externally with light once under influence acoustic field, setting patterned fiber. Using device, progenitor (myoblasts) in mimic structure skeletal muscle. The increased formation myotubes and spontaneous twitching samples observed. This approach combining fabrication tunability acoustofluidics can create complex muscles as well tendons, ligaments, vascular networks, or combinations thereof future.