Aligned microchannel scaffolds for accelerated cell infiltration and differentiationDownload PDF Download PDF ArticleOpen accessPublished: 08 August 2026Mengli Tian1,2,Minghao Liu1,2,Hirotaka Nakatsuji1,2,Hitoshi Kasai1,2 &…Hirotomo Nishihara1,2,3 NPG Asia Materials (2026) Cite this articleSave articleView saved research We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.AbstractPorous honeycomb architectures based on TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (CNF) have been extensively explored in filtration, separation, and energy-related applications, where directional transport and mechanical stability are essential. While it remains to be studied to translate these structurally efficient architectures into tissue engineering applications, which is challenging due to the stringent requirements for aqueous stability, biocompatibility, and tissue-relevant mechanics. Here, we report a conceptual transition of CNF honeycomb materials from transport-oriented functional media to biologically active, mechanically compliant scaffolds for soft tissue regeneration. Using unidirectional freeze-drying, we fabricated aligned honeycomb scaffolds composed of TEMPO-oxidized CNF, atelocollagen (AC), and β-tricalcium phosphate (TP). This ternary design integrates the structural integrity and anisotropic templating capability of CNF with the bioactivity of AC and the stiffness modulation provided by TP. The optimized scaffold exhibits a highly ordered honeycomb channel architecture with an average channel size of approximately 70 μm, excellent aqueous stability, and soft-tissue-relevant mechanical properties. In vitro studies using C2C12 myoblasts demonstrate not only high cytocompatibility but also efficient cell infiltration depth and promoted myogenic differentiation along the aligned channels, when compared with the random porous control sample. The proposed CNF-based honeycomb scaffold serves as a versatile platform for aligned soft tissue engineering, like skeletal muscle and potentially biologically integrated bioreactor systems that meet the functional demands of regenerative medicine.SubjectsBiomaterials – cellsImplantsTissuesAcknowledgementsThis work is supported by the project, JPNP20004, organized by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).Author informationAuthors and AffiliationsInstitute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8577, JapanMengli Tian, Minghao Liu, Hirotaka Nakatsuji, Hitoshi Kasai & Hirotomo NishiharaDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-07, Aoba, Aramaki-aza, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8579, JapanMengli Tian, Minghao Liu, Hirotaka Nakatsuji, Hitoshi Kasai & Hirotomo NishiharaAdvanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8577, JapanHirotomo NishiharaAuthorsMengli TianView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarMinghao LiuView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarHirotaka NakatsujiView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarHitoshi KasaiView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarHirotomo NishiharaView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarCorresponding authorsCorrespondence to Hirotaka Nakatsuji or Hirotomo Nishihara.Ethics declarationsConflict of interestThe authors declare no competing interests.Ethics approval and consent to participateAll methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. This study did not involve human participants, human data, or live vertebrate animals; therefore, ethical approval and informed consent were not required.Additional informationPublisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.Supplementary informationRights and permissionsOpen Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.Reprints and permissionsAbout this article