Advances in musculoskeletal tissue engineering: moving towards therapy

Skeletal muscle can self-repair, but is unable to restore significant tissue loss, as consequence of trauma, congenital defects, tumor ablation or denervation. Intramuscular injection of autologous or allogenic derived myogenic cells (namely satellite cells and myoblasts) did not lead to efficient regeneration because of poor cell retention and survival, as well as immunorejection. In the last decade, tissue engineering looked at overcoming these problems by investigating alternative treatment options, i.e., the suspension of myogenic precursors in temporary matrix, formed by biodegradable and biocompatible materials. This approach allows to engineer custom architectured preconditioned implants, and locally deliver paracrine factors.This article reviews current and potential strategies for the repair of damaged muscle and suggests some innovative approaches for the translation to the clinical setting.