Organization of extracellular matrix fibers within polyglycolic acid-polylactic acid scaffolds analyzed using X-ray synchrotron-radiation phase-contrast micro computed tomography.

Spatiotemporal organized patterns of cell surface–associated and extracellular matrix (ECM)-embedded molecules play important roles in the development and functioning of tissues. ECM proteins interact with the surface of bioscaffold polymers and influence material-driven control of cell differentiation., Using X-ray phase-contrast micro computed tomography (microCT), we visualized the three-dimensional (3D) image of ECM organization after in vitro seeding of bone marrow–derived human and murine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) induced to myogenic differentiation, labelled with iron oxide nanoparticles, and seeded onto polyglycolic acid–polylactic acid scaffolds. X-ray microCT enabled us to detect with high spatial resolution the 3D structural organization of ECM within the bioscaffold and how the presence of cells modified the construct arrangement. Species-specific differences between the matrix produced by human and murine cells were observed. In conclusion, X-ray synchrotron radiation microCT analysis appeared to be a useful tool to identify the spatiotemporal pattern of organization of ECM fibers within a bioscaffold.