Impact of Human Recombinant Irisin on Tissue-Engineered Skeletal Muscle Structure and Function

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Cell Biology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Tissue engineering of skeletal muscle units (SMUs) aims to treat volumetric muscle loss (VML).
• Limited satellite cell expansion hinders the fabrication of functional SMUs.
• Optimizing cell culture conditions is crucial for successful muscle tissue engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of human recombinant irisin on the growth and development of 3D engineered skeletal muscle.
• To determine optimal irisin concentration for enhancing satellite cell proliferation and differentiation.
• To assess irisin's impact on the structural and functional properties of engineered SMUs.

Main Methods:

• Muscle satellite cells were cultured with varying concentrations of human recombinant irisin (0, 50, 100, 250 ng/mL).
• Light microscopy assessed myotube diameter and density during 3D SMU development.
• Contractile force and immunohistochemical analysis were performed on the engineered SMUs.

Main Results:

• 250 ng/mL of irisin significantly increased myotube diameter and myoblast proliferation/differentiation.
• Irisin supplementation promoted the formation of larger, denser myotubes in 3D constructs.
• A consistent significant impact on the contractile force production of SMUs was not observed.

Conclusions:

• Human recombinant irisin, particularly at 250 ng/mL, promotes myotube development in scaffold-free engineered skeletal muscle.
• Irisin enhances key cellular processes for muscle tissue engineering, including proliferation and differentiation.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate irisin's potential to improve contractile function in engineered SMUs.