Engineering Biomaterial Microenvironments for Functional Tissue Regeneration

Functional tissue regeneration requires microenvironments that actively regulate cellular organization and maturation. Here, we present ECM-based biopolymer systems designed to provide biochemical, structural, and mechanical cues for tissue formation. Using plasma-derived fibrin and tissue-specific ECM, we investigated how matrix composition, microfluidic shear, and anisotropic architecture influence cellular organization and differentiation. These approaches were applied to the engineering of muscle, neuromuscular, vascular, and cardiac tissues. We further examined how aligned ECM regulates cellular maturation through cell–matrix interactions and nuclear mechanotransduction. Together, these studies demonstrate that ECM-based biomaterials can function as instructive microenvironments rather than passive cell carriers. Engineering their biochemical and biophysical properties may provide a basis for developing organized, functional tissues and implantable bio-organs for regenerative medicine. This research was supported by grant funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (Ministry of Science and ICT) (Grant No. RS-2026-25469505).