Stem cells can be prompted to develop into bone, instead of muscle or cartilage tissue, if they are grown on a substrate etched with nanoscopic patterns – and no added chemicals, University of Glasgow researchers have found.

The discovery could lead to longer-lasting artificial implants that are nano-engineered to encourage suitable tissue to develop around them.

Precisely why these patterns affect stem cell growth is unclear, but the cells may get “nanoscale cues” similar to those received inside the body from the shape of neighboring proteins and the structure of protein collagen.