Now, researchers at the University of Oregon’s Knight Campus, led by Alycia Galindo, a Ph.D. candidate in Marian Hettiaratchi’s lab, are developing a potential solution: microscopic scaffolds that guide muscle cells to regenerate organized, functional tissue.

Their findings, published in Cellular and Molecular Bioegineering, and part of the 2025 Young Innovator collection, combine microstructures with biochemical cues, offering a blueprint for future medical technologies that could help damaged muscle heal faster and more effectively.