Engineered Muscle Tissues for Disease Modeling and Drug Screening Applications

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Animal models are standard for drug discovery but have significant drawbacks.
• Limitations include high costs, poor reproducibility, low human physiological similarity, and ethical concerns.
• Engineered tissue models present a viable alternative for drug testing and disease modeling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the fabrication and application of engineered skeletal and cardiac muscle tissue models.
• To discuss their role in drug screening and disease modeling.
• To highlight advancements in muscle tissue engineering.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication technologies discussed include electrospinning, bioprinting, dielectrophoresis, textile technology, and microfluidics.
• Characterization and physiology of skeletal and cardiac muscle tissues are described.
• Review of current muscle tissue models used in drug screening.

Main Results:

• Engineered muscle tissues can mimic native tissue structure and function.
• Various fabrication methods enable the creation of functional muscle constructs.
• These models show potential for accurate prediction of drug responses.

Conclusions:

• Engineered muscle tissue models are emerging as powerful tools in pharmaceutical research.
• They offer improved physiological relevance and ethical advantages over animal models.
• Further development holds promise for revolutionizing drug discovery and personalized medicine.