ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses relevant biological considerations for the creation of engineered muscle, including cell source, scaffold, or extracellular matrix (ECM) composition, and identifying and improving markers of in vitro muscle function such as force production and metabolism. Engineered skeletal muscle formed using C2C12 cells do not exhibit tetanus force traces seen in normally functioning skeletal muscle as a response to increased frequency of electrical stimulation, and peak force does not increase with increased frequency of stimulation. By varying the matrix composition, and in turn the cell-matrix interactions, it is possible to enhance the maturation of the fibers within the engineered muscle and improve the function. Electrical stimulation of engineered skeletal muscle may offer an alternative to innervation, but cannot completely recapitulate the in vivo environment. Decellularized skeletal muscle scaffolds conserve the structural elements of the tissue's ECM, neural pathways, and blood vessels, facilitating tissue organization with repopulated native cells, either via seeding in vitro or ingrowth of cells in vivo.
