Innovative Biomaterials for Muscle Tissue Regeneration and Rehabilitation

A special issue of Journal of Functional Biomaterials (ISSN 2079-4983). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 974

Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO 63103, USA
Interests: skeletal muscle; tissue engineering; biomaterials; extracellular matrix; regenerative medicine; angiogenesis; immunomodulation; volumetric muscle loss
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are seeking original research and review articles that explore the development and application of innovative biomaterials designed to restore skeletal muscle function following injury or disease. Submissions should focus on the following key themes:

1. Electrically Conductive and Mechanoresponsive Scaffolds

Research into materials capable of mimicking the electromechanical properties of muscle tissue, including conductive polymers, carbon-based composites, and elastomers designed to withstand cyclic mechanical loading while facilitating the delivery of electrical stimulation for neuromuscular recovery.

2. Bioactive Delivery Systems

The development of scaffolds that serve as reservoirs for therapeutic agents. We encourage submissions on materials engineered for the controlled release of growth factors (e.g., IGF-1 and VEGF), small molecules, anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as platforms that optimize cell delivery and host cell infiltration.

3. Functional Rehabilitation and Integration

Studies investigating the long-term integration of biomaterials with host tissue, including longitudinal or terminal assessment of contractile force recovery, neuromuscular junction formation, and the synergy between biomaterial implantation and physical rehabilitation protocols.

Dr. Koyal Garg
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Functional Biomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • skeletal muscle
  • rehabilitation
  • biomaterials
  • conductive polymers
  • mechanobiology
  • drug delivery
  • growth factors

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 17670 KB  
Article
Effect of Fibronectin and Laminin on Compaction of Myoblast-Seeded Collagen Hydrogels
by Sydnee T. Sicherer, Jasmine Guliani, Sandra A. Raju, Yash Parikh, Cassandra Martin, Jessi Pridmore, Katherine Coombs and Jonathan M. Grasman
J. Funct. Biomater. 2026, 17(6), 299; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb17060299 - 16 Jun 2026
Viewed by 687
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) regulates skeletal muscle development through biochemical signaling and mechanical interactions. While Matrigel supplementation is commonly used to enhance engineered muscle formation, the contribution of specific ECM proteins remain incompletely defined in 3D systems. Here, we evaluated the effects of [...] Read more.
The extracellular matrix (ECM) regulates skeletal muscle development through biochemical signaling and mechanical interactions. While Matrigel supplementation is commonly used to enhance engineered muscle formation, the contribution of specific ECM proteins remain incompletely defined in 3D systems. Here, we evaluated the effects of laminin and fibronectin supplementation on myogenic differentiation in collagen type I hydrogels and assessed their influence on passive tissue compaction and alignment in 3D constructs. Two-dimensional collagen hydrogels supplemented with increasing concentrations (0–100 µg/mL) of laminin or fibronectin were screened to maximize the myoblast fusion index. These concentrations were incorporated into 3D myocyte-seeded hydrogels cultured between flexible posts to quantify passive compaction forces via cantilever mechanics. Fibronectin supplementation (10 µg/mL) resulted in significantly greater early post displacement and sustained passive compaction compared to laminin-supplemented and unsupplemented controls. Constructs cultured under tension between posts exhibited enhanced alignment, with fibronectin further increasing the proportion of fibers oriented within 0–20° of the tension axis. Together, these findings demonstrate that fibronectin enhances early passive compaction dynamics and tension-mediated alignment in collagen-based skeletal muscle constructs. These results provide insight into how specific ECM components influence 3D tissue organization and may inform the design of engineered muscle models for regenerative applications. Full article
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