Volumetric muscle loss (VML) is associated with loss of skeletal muscle function, and current treatments show limited efficacy. Here we show that bioconstructs suffused with genetically-labelled muscle stem cells (MuSCs) and other muscle resident cells (MRCs) are effective to treat VML injuries in mice. Imaging of bioconstructs implanted in damaged muscles indicates MuSCs survival and growth, and ex vivo analyses show force restoration of treated muscles. Histological analysis highlights myofibre formation, neovascularisation, but insufficient innervation. Both innervation and in vivo force production are enhanced when implantation of bioconstructs is followed by an exercise regimen. Significant improvements are also observed when bioconstructs are used to treat chronic VML injury models. Finally, we demonstrate that bioconstructs made with human MuSCs and MRCs can generate functional muscle tissue in our VML model. These data suggest that stem cell-based therapies aimed to engineer tissue in vivo may be effective to treat acute and chronic VML.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15613 | DOI Listing |
Physiol Rep
February 2025
Motion and Exercise Science, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.
The maintenance of an appropriate ratio of body fat to muscle mass is essential for the preservation of health and performance, as excessive body fat is associated with an increased risk of various diseases. Accurate body composition assessment requires precise segmentation of structures. In this study we developed a novel automatic machine learning approach for volumetric segmentation and quantitative assessment of MRI volumes and investigated the efficacy of using a machine learning algorithm to assess muscle, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and bone volume of the thigh before and after a strength training.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTomography
January 2025
Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
Background/objectives: Mummy studies allow to reconstruct the characteristic of a population in a specific spatiotemporal context, in terms of living conditions, pathologies and death. Radiology represents an efficient diagnostic technique able to establish the preservation state of mummified organs and to estimate the patient's pathological conditions. However, the radiological approach shows some limitations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Funct Biomater
January 2025
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609, USA.
Large skeletal muscle injuries such as volumetric muscle loss (VML) disrupt native tissue structures, including biophysical and biochemical signaling cues that promote the regeneration of functional skeletal muscle. Various biofabrication strategies have been developed to create engineered skeletal muscle constructs that mimic native matrix and cellular microenvironments to enhance muscle regeneration; however, there remains a need to create scalable engineered tissues that provide mechanical stability as well as structural and spatiotemporal signaling cues to promote cell-mediated regeneration of contractile skeletal muscle. We describe a novel strategy for bioprinting multifunctional myoblast-loaded fibrin microthreads (myothreads) that recapitulate the cellular microniches to drive myogenesis and aligned myotube formation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNatl Sci Rev
February 2025
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210004, China.
The escalating prevalence of skeletal muscle disorders highlights the critical need for innovative treatments for severe injuries such as volumetric muscle loss. Traditional treatments, such as autologous transplants, are constrained by limited availability and current scaffolds often fail to meet complex clinical needs. This study introduces a new approach to volumetric muscle loss treatment by using a shape-memory polymer (SMP) based on block copolymers of perfluoropolyether and polycaprolactone diol.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neurol
January 2025
Department of Neurology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Universitaria "Zeferino Vaz", Rua Tessália Vieira de Camargo, 126. Cidade, Campinas, SP, 13083-887, Brazil.
Background: Skeletal and cardiac muscle damage have been increasingly recognized in female carriers of DMD pathogenic variants (DMDc). Little is known about cognitive impairment in these women or whether they have structural brain damage.
Objective: To characterize the cognitive profile in a Brazilian cohort of DMDc and determine whether they have structural brain abnormalities using multimodal MRI.
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