# Suturable bioprinted vascularized muscle constructs for treatment of skeletal muscle loss

> **NIH NIH R01** · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · 2021 · $542,120

## Abstract

Project Summary
Volumetric muscle loss (VML) usually occurs following traumatic injury and results in a composite loss of
muscle mass. These injuries manifest in decreased strength and functional impairments. Clinically, these
injuries often heal with fibrosis, as opposed to skeletal muscle regeneration. Current existing therapeutic
options are also insufficient for VML treatment, and complications are often associated with surgical repair
including nerve injury, excessive immune response, infection, scarring, and limitations of tissue graft supply.
Indeed, natural healing and surgical procedures are inefficient in restoring the functionality of injured muscles,
resulting in a poor quality of life. Therefore, developing clinically relevant three-dimensional (3D) tissue using
patient-specific genetically identical cells has emerged as a potential solution to address the above issues. To
achieve this aim, there are two existing main challenges. The first challenge is obtaining large amounts of
patient-specific genetically identical cells. The use of human pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) differentiated to
the muscle lineage represents a promising candidate to build upon personalized therapy. However, directing
the differentiation of hiPSCs to the muscle fate along with reproducible differentiation schemes has proven to
be challenging. The second challenge is developing a highly organized and vascularized 3D skeletal muscle
tissue to maintain the viability of cells inside thick tissue constructs via engineered vessel networks.
Furthermore, the fabricated tissues have to strongly integrate into injured site via surgical methods. To address
these challenges, we plan to develop a suturable 3D vascularized muscle tissue from hiPSC-derived myogenic
precursor cells (hiPSC-MPCs) embedded in biomaterials using bioprinting techniques. We will optimize the
recently developed protocols allowing efficient production of functional myofibers from hiPSCs in hydrogels
with tunable mechanical properties and degradable profiles, which mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) of
native skeletal muscle tissue. To create biomimetic vascularized muscle constructs, a multi-material embedded
bioprinting technique will be used to precisely control the positions of the vascular network and aligned muscle
fibers with biologically relevant architectures. With the conventional bioprinting system, it is difficult to precisely
control the materials’ position in Z directions to create freestanding hydrogel architectures. Also, to achieve
prolonged retention of implants into the injured site and to improve muscle regeneration, a muscle growth
factor (IGF-1) laden suturable graft will be developed. hiPSC-MPCs-laden constructs will be printed on the
suturable graft consisting of IGF-1-laden PGS/GelMA substrates using electrospinning.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10119932
- **Project number:** 1R01AR077132-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Su Ryon Shin
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $542,120
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-03-01 → 2026-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10119932

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10119932, Suturable bioprinted vascularized muscle constructs for treatment of skeletal muscle loss (1R01AR077132-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10119932. Licensed CC0.

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