3D Skeletal Muscle Fascicle Engineering is Improved with TGF-β1 Treatment of Myogenic Cells and their Co-Culture with Myofibroblasts

Overview

Who: Jessica Krieger, Byung-Wook Park, Christopher R. Lambert and Christopher Malcuit

Published: July 11, 2018

Where: PeerJ

Key Takeaway: This cell culture recipe could be used to grow better muscle fibers and combined with other techniques to help scale-up cultured meat production.

Research Topics: media

Summary

Jessica Krieger et al. clarify the role of TGF-β1 signaling in skeletal muscle myogenesis, and the specific roles of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in myogenesis. In this study, they grow 2D and 3D monocultures and co-cultures with and without TGF-β1, and monitor changes in gene expression, cell phenotype, and elastic moduli of the tissues. The study finds 3D co-cultures of myoblasts and myofibroblasts treated with TGF-β1 are most effective at driving myogenesis and myotube formation to form the most stable, organized tissues. The results pertaining to the impacts of TGF-β1 are consistent with similar studies, though Krieger et al. acknowledge myofibroblasts are superior to fibroblasts in driving myotube formation. Furthermore, Krieger et al. show the use of a hydrogel-based system for helping to scale-up this process. The study offers an attainable cell culture model for cultured meat production, highlighting that TGF-β1 treatment and co-culturing with myofibroblasts enhances myogenesis.

Written by Morgan Ziegelski

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Krieger, J., Park, B.-W., Lambert, C. R., & Malcuit, C. (2018). 3D skeletal muscle fascicle engineering is improved with TGF-β1 treatment of myogenic cells and their co-culture with myofibroblasts. PeerJ, 6, e4939. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4939

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