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Minimally Invasive Muscle Embedding (MIME) - A Novel Experimental Technique to Facilitate Donor-Cell-Mediated Myogenesis
Published on: August 24, 2017
Woven dECM yarn scaffolds enable volumetric muscle loss regeneration via immunomodulation
Guangzhou Song1,2, Wenqian Cong1,2, Hongjiang Lu1,2
1College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
Abstract:
Volumetric muscle loss (VML) represents a significant unmet clinical need in current medical practice. Decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) offers a promising clinical approach. However, its inherent architecture impedes adaptive topological guidance for rapid cellular infiltration, spatial organization, and coordinated immune response, limiting functional restoration. Here, we report a dECM yarn scaffold (YS) fabricated by 3D weaving of rotary-cut yarns, achieving precise structural control, full interconnectivity and high porosity. In murine VML models, YS significantly improved vascularization, innervation, muscle mass, and strength restoration. Single-nucleus RNA-sequencing identified decreased SPP1+ neutrophil infiltration alongside increased CD206+/IGF-1+ macrophages, whose enhanced IGF-1 secretion stimulated PAX7+ muscle cell growth via amplified IGF-1R signaling. The robust regenerative efficacy and translational potential of YS was further confirmed in a canine VML model. Our study shows that restructured dECM scaffolds address structural constraints to enable effective in situ muscle regeneration, while simultaneously establishing a novel scaffold platform for regenerative medicine.

