Self-organization of vascularized muscle from bovine embryonic stem cells
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
Cultured beef offers a promising alternative to traditional meat. While adult stem cells are commonly used as the cell source for cultured beef, their proliferation and differentiation capacities are limited. Current manufacturing processes for cultured beef steaks often require separate preparation of multiple cell types and their intricate assembly. In this study, we propose and report the co-induction of muscle, neural, and endothelial cells from bovine embryonic stem cells (ESCs), accompanied by the formation of tissue-like structures in two- and three-dimensional cultures. Bovine myocytes are induced in a stepwise manner through the induction of presomitic mesoderm (PSM) from bovine ESCs. Muscle fibers with sarcomeres appear within 15 days, displaying calcium oscillations responsive to inputs from co-induced bovine neurons. Bovine endothelial cells are also co-induced via PSM, forming uniform vessel networks inside tissues. Our serum-free, rapid co-induction protocols represent a milestone toward self-organizing beef steaks with integrated vasculature and innervation.
Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 8975 |
| Journal | Nature communications |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2 Sept 2026 |
| Peer-reviewed | Yes |
External IDs
| PubMed | 42686746 |
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Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Keywords
- Cell Culture Techniques/methods, Cells, Cultured, Muscle Fibers, Skeletal/cytology, Muscle, Skeletal/cytology, Neurons/cytology, Endothelial Cells/cytology, In Vitro Meat, Animals, Cattle, Cell Differentiation, Red Meat, Mesoderm/cytology, Embryonic Stem Cells/cytology