Purpose: Conventional 2-dimensional cultures and animal models have limited ability to reproduce the structural complexity, dynamic mechanical cues, and sustained functionality of native skeletal muscle tissue. To overcome these limitations, skeletal ...
Purpose: Conventional 2-dimensional cultures and animal models have limited ability to reproduce the structural complexity, dynamic mechanical cues, and sustained functionality of native skeletal muscle tissue. To overcome these limitations, skeletal muscle-on-a-chip platforms have been developed as advanced in vitro systems for studying muscle physiology, pathology, and regeneration.
Current Concepts: These microengineered systems incorporate essential features of skeletal muscle, including 3-dimensional architecture, cellular alignment, contractile function, and responsiveness to biochemical and mechanical stimuli. Recent ad vances, such as vascularization, multi-organ integration, and spaceflight-compatible designs, have expanded their applications in disease modeling and drug screening.
Discussion and Conclusion: This review examines key engineering strategies, biological performance metrics, and represen tative applications of skeletal muscle-on-a-chip systems. It also addresses technical challenges, including long-term function ality, measurement standardization, and clinical translation, and considers future prospects for their integration into preclinical testing and regenerative medicine.