Aligned scaffolds for improved myocardial regeneration

1. A semi-solid, three-dimensional biocompatible scaffold for cell growth, tissue repair or regeneration comprising more than one scaffold layer of alternating attachment-strips (A-strips) and separating-strips (S-strips), wherein the A-strips within each scaffold layer are aligned parallel to each other, and wherein the A-strips preferentially promote cellular attachment to A-strips over cellular attachment to the S-strips.

2. The scaffold of claim 1 , wherein the scaffold layers are arranged so the A-strips from one scaffold layer to another are in a substantially parallel orientation.

3. The scaffold of claim 1 , wherein the scaffold layers are arranged so the A-strips are in a substantially random orientation.

4. The scaffold of claim 1 , wherein the scaffold is biodegradable.

5. The scaffold of claim 1 , wherein the A-strips range from about 20 to about 100 micrometers in thickness and from about 20 to about 100 micrometers in width; and wherein the S-strips range from about 20 to about 100 micrometers in thickness, and from about 20 to about 100 micrometers in width.

6. The scaffold of claim 1 , wherein the A-strips comprise extracellular matrix material, proteins or peptides that promote cell-attachment, or any combination thereof.

7. The scaffold of claim 6 , wherein the A-strips further comprise a bioactive agent selected from the group consisting of a vascularization-promoting factor, a cytokine, a growth factor, an enzyme, a hormone, an angiogenesis factor, a vaccine antigen, an antibody, a clotting factor, a regulatory protein, a transcription factor, a receptor, a structural protein, a functional fragment of said bioactive agent and combinations thereof.

8. The scaffold of claim 7 , where the bioactive agent is selected from the group consisting of granulocyte-colony stimulating factors (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), stem cell factor (SCF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factors, human growth hormone (hGH), Factor VIII, Factor IX, erthropoietin (EPO), albumin, hemoglobin, alpha-1 antitrypsin, calcitonin, glucocerebrosidase, low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, IL-2 receptor, globins, immunoglobulins, catalytic antibodies, interleukins, chemokines, insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), insulinotropin, parathyroid hormone (PTH), leptin, an interferon, nerve growth factors, epidermal growth factor (EGF), endothelial cell growth factor, endothelial cell stimulating angiogenesis factor (ESAF), angiogenin, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), Flt-3 ligand, megakaryocyte growth and development factor (MGDF), and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors, a functional fragment of said bioactive agents and combinations thereof.

9. The scaffold of claim 6 , wherein the extracellular matrix material is from intestine submucosa, stomach submucosa, liver submucosa, urinary bladder extracellular matrix, bone marrow extracellular matrix, basement membrane, or combinations thereof.

10. The scaffold of claim 6 , wherein the A-strips comprise extracellular matrix material.

11. The scaffold of claim 6 , wherein the A-strips comprise proteins that promote cell-attachment.

12. The scaffold of claim 6 , wherein the A-strips comprise peptides that promote cell-attachment.

13. The scaffold of claim 6 , wherein the extracellular matrix material is from intestine submucosa.

14. The scaffold of claim 6 , wherein the extracellular matrix material is from stomach submucosa.

15. The scaffold of claim 6 , wherein the extracellular matrix material is from liver submucosa.

16. The scaffold of claim 6 , wherein the extracellular matrix material is from bone marrow extracellular matrix.

17. The scaffold of claim 6 , wherein the extracellular matrix material is from basement membrane.

18. The scaffold of claim 1 , wherein the A-strips comprise a submucosa.

19. The scaffold of claim 1 , wherein the S-strips comprise alginate, agarose, gelatin, or combinations thereof.

20. The scaffold of claim 19 , wherein the S-strips comprise alginate.

21. The scaffold of claim 19 , wherein the S-strips comprise gelatin.

22. The scaffold of claim 19 , wherein the S-strips comprise agarose.

23. A semi-solid, three-dimensional biocompatible scaffold for cell growth, tissue repair or regeneration, comprising two or more scaffold layers of alternating attachment-strips (A-strips) and separating-strips (S-strips) and one or more separating layers, wherein the A-strips comprise an extracellular matrix material, wherein the S-strips and separating layers comprise an alginate substance, and wherein the A-strips within each scaffolding layer are aligned parallel to each other and preferentially promote cellular attachment to A-strips over cellular attachment to the S-strips and the separating layers.

24. The scaffold of claim 23 , wherein the separating layers range from about 20 to about 200 micrometers in thickness.

25. The scaffold of claim 23 , wherein the S-strips or the separating layers have sufficient porosity to allow cell migration throughout the scaffold.

26. The scaffold of claim 23 , wherein the separating layers comprise alginate, agarose, gelatin, or combinations thereof.

27. The scaffold of claim 26 , wherein the S-strips comprise alginate.

28. The scaffold of claim 23 , wherein the A-strips are about 80 micrometers in thickness and about 80 micrometers in width, wherein the S-strips are about 80 micrometers in thickness and about 20 micrometers in width, and wherein the separating layers are about 80 micrometers in thickness.

29. The scaffold of claim 23 , comprising more than one separating layers.