Multiscale patterned transplantable stem cell patches for bone tissue regeneration

Stem cell-based therapy has been proposed as an enabling alternative not only for the treatment of diseases but also for the regeneration of tissues beyond complex surgical treatments or tissue transplantation. In this study, we approached a conceptual platform that can integrate stem cells into a multiscale patterned substrate for bone regeneration. Inspired by human bone tissue, we developed hierarchically micro- and nanopatterned transplantable patches as synthetic extracellular matrices by employing capillary force lithography in combination with a surface micro-wrinkling method using a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) polymer. The multiscale patterned PLGA patches were highly flexible and showed higher tissue adhesion to the underlying tissue than did the single nanopatterned patches. In response to the anisotropically multiscale patterned topography, the adhesion and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were sensitively controlled. Furthermore, the stem cell patch composed of hMSCs and transplantable PLGA substrate promoted bone regeneration in vivo when both the micro- and nanotopography of the substrate surfaces were synergistically combined. Thus, our study concludes that multiscale patterned transplantable stem cell patches may have a great potential for bone regeneration as well as for various regenerative medicine approaches.