Innovation in culture systems to study muscle complexity

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cell Biology
• Physiology

Background:

• Skeletal muscle processes like development, regeneration, and pathology are intricate and influenced by various factors.
• Understanding these mechanisms is vital for fundamental biology and developing therapies for genetic disorders, sarcopenia, and muscle loss.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advances (last 5 years) in in vitro and ex vivo skeletal muscle models.
• To summarize new insights, tools, datasets, and screening methods from these models.
• To highlight future directions combining in silico modeling with high-content cell biology and ex vivo platforms.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing 2D and 3D primary cultures of satellite stem cell-derived myoblasts.
• Employing single muscle myofibers, myobundles, and whole tissue ex vivo models.
• Reviewing recent literature on in vitro and ex vivo skeletal muscle models.

Main Results:

• In vitro and ex vivo models provide simplified systems to study stem cell behavior, cell-cell interactions, and muscle function.
• Recent advances have yielded new insights, tools, datasets, and screening methods for skeletal muscle research.
• These models help elucidate mechanisms without confounding variables present in in vivo studies.

Conclusions:

• Advanced skeletal muscle models are crucial for mechanistic insights into muscle biology and pathology.
• Future research can leverage in silico modeling and high-content systems for spatiotemporal resolution in understanding muscle.
• These approaches promise exponential advances in skeletal muscle knowledge and therapeutic development.