Uniaxial cyclic strain of human adipose–derived mesenchymal stem cells and C2C12 myoblasts in coculture

Tissue engineering skeletal muscle in vitro is of great importance for the production of tissue-like constructs for treating tissue loss due to traumatic injury or surgery. However, it is essential to find new sources of cells for muscle engineering as efficient in vitro expansion and culture of primary myoblasts are problematic. Mesenchymal stem cells may be a promising source of myogenic progenitor cells and may be harvested in large numbers from adipose tissue. As skeletal muscle is a mechanically dynamic tissue, we have investigated the effect of cyclic mechanical strain on the myogenic differentiation of a coculture system of murine C2C12 myoblasts and human adipose–derived mesenchymal stem cells. Fusion of mesenchymal stem cells with nascent myotubes and expression of human sarcomeric proteins was observed, indicating the potential for myogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. Cyclic mechanical strain did not affect the fusion of mesenchymal stem cells, but maturation of myotubes was perturbed.