Summary
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are central to regenerative medicine, but the very scaffolds used to deliver them can push the cells to differentiate too early, eroding their therapeutic value. An ideal scaffold should instead keep MSCs in an undifferentiated, “stem” state until host signals call for change. This study presents a nanostructured electrospun gelatin patch designed as exactly that kind of holding environment. The patch behaves as a non-linear elastic material and resists degradation for up to four weeks. Human MSCs seeded on it adhered and proliferated at rates comparable to standard 2D culture, but — crucially — better retained their progenitor properties, shown by superior multi-lineage differentiation capacity afterwards. The gelatin nanofibre patch thus offers a supportive carrier that preserves MSC stemness for regenerative-medicine applications.