Minimally Invasive Muscle Embedding Generates Donor-Cell-Derived Muscle Fibers that Express Desmin and Dystrophin.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to quantify the extent of donor-cell-derived myogenesis achieved by a novel surgical technique known as Minimally Invasive Muscle Embedding (MIME).

Materials And Methods: Through MIME, we implanted a single extensor digitorum longus muscle from donor mice (N = 2) that expressed a red fluorescent protein (RFP), into the left tibialis anterior (TA) muscle of immunodeficient host mice (N = 4) that expressed a green fluorescent protein (GFP). Soon after MIME, we injected a myotoxin (barium chloride), into the host TA muscle, to trigger concerted muscle degeneration and regeneration.