Innervation of an engineered muscle graft for reconstruction of muscle defects

• Published in: American journal of transplantation Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 37 - 47
• Main Authors: Kaufman, Tal, Kaplan, Ben, Perry, Luba, Shandalov, Yulia, Landau, Shira, Srugo, Itay, Ad‐El, Dean, Levenberg, Shulamit
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.01.2019
• Subjects: Abdominal wall; animal models; Animals; Autografts; Axons - physiology; basic (laboratory) research/science; bioengineering; Cell Line; cellular transplantation (non‐islet); Electromyography; Femur; Fibroblasts - cytology; Green Fluorescent Proteins - metabolism; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; Humans; Innervation; Male; Mice; Mice, Nude; murine; Muscle, Skeletal - innervation; Muscle, Skeletal - transplantation; Muscles; Muscular Diseases - surgery; Muscular system; Nerve conduction; Nerve Regeneration; Neuromuscular junctions; Polyesters - chemistry; Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer - chemistry; regenerative medicine; Skin & tissue grafts; Tissue engineering; Tissue Engineering - methods; Tissue Scaffolds; murine; animal models; cellular transplantation (non-islet); regenerative medicine; basic (laboratory) research/science; bioengineering
• ISSN: 1600-6135; 1600-6143
• DOI: 10.1111/ajt.14957

Autologous muscle flaps are commonly used to reconstruct defects that involve muscle impairment. To maintain viability and functionality of these flaps, they must be properly vascularized and innervated. Tissue‐engineered muscles could potentially replace autologous muscle tissue, but still require establishment of sufficient innervation to ensure functionality. In this study, we explored the possibility of innervating engineered muscle grafts transplanted to an abdominal wall defect in mice, by transferring the native femoral nerve to the graft. Six weeks posttransplantation, nerve conduction studies and electromyography demonstrated increased innervation in engineered grafts neurotized with the femoral nerve, as compared to non‐neurotized grafts. Histologic assessments revealed axonal penetration and formation of neuromuscular junctions within the grafts. The innervation process described here may advance the fabrication of a fully functional engineered muscle graft that will be of utility in clinical settings. A surgical nerve transfer can be used to facilitate innervation in tissue‐engineered skeletal muscle grafts transplanted into abdominal wall defects in a murine model.