ETH researchers cultivate muscles without genetic engineering

A team at the ETH has developed a completely new way to obtain large quantities of muscle stem cells  in the lab without genetic engineering. According to a press release, this has not been achieved by anyone before. The ETH states that this provides “potential for treating patients with muscle diseases – and for those who would like to eat meat, but don’t want to kill animals.”

According to the recently published study, this new method is safe because it is achieved without genetic engineering. Previously, the genetic blueprint for the MyoD protein has been inserted into the cell nucleus using viruses. MyoD reprograms connective tissue stem cells to make them form muscle cells and fibers. The safety risk with this is that the viruses integrate the DNA blueprint into a vital gene and damage it or that the insertion leads to changes that could trigger cancer.

The ETH team gained inspiration from the COVID mRNA vaccines for this novel method, which introduces the mRNA transcript of the MyoD blueprint into the cells. The cell genome remains unchanged during this. With the mRNA and the components of a cocktail of active substances and proteins optimized by the researchers, the connective tissue cells start to create MyoD and transform into muscle stem cells and fibers.

The researchers have already been able to show in mice that the healthy stem cells form functional muscle fibers in the muscles of mice with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Now, this approach is to be adapted for human cells. It could help individuals who affected by this muscle-wasting disease. Additionally, bovine muscle tissue from the laboratory could revolutionize the meat industry. This allows meat to be produced without harming any animals. ce/mm