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Updated: Feb 15, 2026
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Engineering Skeletal Muscle Tissues from Murine Myoblast Progenitor Cells and Application of Electrical Stimulation
Published on: March 19, 2013
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Engineering human pluripotent stem cells into a functional skeletal muscle tissue
Lingjun Rao1, Ying Qian1, Alastair Khodabukus1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
Nature Communications
|January 11, 2018
Summary
Researchers generated functional human skeletal muscle tissues from pluripotent stem cells. These engineered tissues, called iSKM bundles, show promise for studying muscle diseases and developing new drugs.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Stem Cell Biology
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Generating functional skeletal muscle from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) remains a significant challenge.
- Previous attempts have not successfully produced viable, functional muscle tissue constructs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for generating functional skeletal muscle tissues from hPSCs.
- To create a robust platform for modeling human muscle diseases and advancing drug discovery.
Main Methods:
- Induced myogenic progenitor cells (iMPCs) were derived from hPSCs via Pax7 overexpression.
- Optimized 2D and 3D culture conditions were employed for iMPC differentiation and tissue formation.
- Functional assessments included electrophysiological and pharmacological stimulation, force measurements, and in vivo implantation in mice.
Main Results:
- iMPCs differentiated into multinucleated myotubes and satellite-like cells in 2D culture.
- 3D culture yielded functional skeletal muscle (iSKM) bundles with aligned myotubes, exhibiting force-frequency relationships and calcium transients.
- Implanted iSKM bundles survived, vascularized, and maintained function in mice over one month.
Conclusions:
- This study reports the first generation of functional skeletal muscle tissues from hPSCs.
- Engineered iSKM bundles represent a promising microphysiological system for muscle disease modeling and therapeutic development.
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