Electroconductive nanopatterned substrates for enhanced myogenic differentiation and maturation

Electrically conductive materials provide a suitable platform for the in vitro study of excitable cells, such as skeletal muscle cells, due to their inherent conductivity and electro-activity. Here we demonstrate that bioinspired electroconductive nanopatterned substrates enhanced myogenic differentiation and maturation. The topographical cues from the highly-aligned collagen bundles that form the extracellular matrix (ECM) of skeletal muscle tissue were mimicked using nanopatterns created with capillary force lithography. Electron beam deposition was then utilized to conformally coat nanopatterned substrates with a thin layer of either gold or titanium to create electroconductive substrates with well-defined, large-area nanotopographical features. C2C12 cells, a myoblast cell line, were cultured for 7 days on substrates, and the effects of topography and electrical conductivity on cellular morphology and myogenic differentiation were assessed. We found that biomimetic nanotopography enhanced the formation of aligned myotubes, and the addition of an electroconductive coating promoted myogenic differentiation and maturation, as indicated by the upregulation of myogenic regulatory factors Myf5, MyoD and myogenin (MyoG). These results suggest the suitability of electroconductive nanopatterned substrates as a biomimetic platform for the in vitro engineering of skeletal muscle tissue.