Innovative gel helps muscle cells grow - mice study

UK researchers have successfully grown human muscle tissue within mice using a gel-based transplant method.

The team at Queen Mary University of Londonand University College London transplanted lab-grown human muscle cells, embedded in a specialised gel, into the hind limb muscles of mice.

The genetically altered mice had a naturally occurring genetic defect preventing the production of dystrophin, a crucial muscle protein, which can lead to a condition similar to human muscular dystrophy diseases.

At present, there is no cure for any type of muscular dystrophy - a group of inherited diseases that lead to progressive muscle weakness and loss. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (average life expectancy of 26 years of age) is the most prevalent type of muscular dystrophy, affecting 1 in every 5000 boys worldwide.

And while transplanting healthy muscle cells has been seen as a potential solution, a major hurdle is ensuring the survival and function (engraftment) of these cells within the body and developing an effective delivery method.

This new gel delivery method has also eliminated the need for harmful pre-treatment of the mouse muscles, which is typically required to prevent rejection in current muscle transplantations.

The study, published in Cell Reports Medicine, reported that the transplanted human muscle fibres survived in the mouse muscles, forming new connections between the nerves and the muscles, while new blood vessels grew within the transplanted tissue.

The muscle tissue remained viable and even increased in size over six months in the mice.